French protesters tear EU flag at ‘Frexit’ rally (VIDEO)
French protesters tore up an EU flag during a rally in central Paris, calling for the country’s withdrawal from the bloc to protect the farming community from Brussels’ damaging policies.
The demonstration, which took place over the weekend and drew more than 1,000 people, was organized by Florian Philippot, the leader of the Patriots party, a sovereignist movement campaigning for “Frexit.”
In a video posted on his X account on Sunday, Philippot is seen holding the EU flag alongside a man he described as an “angry farmer.” The pair rip the flag in two and throw it into a cheering crowd, as demonstrators wave French tricolors.
Avec Alexandre Patte, paysan en colère, on se débarrasse du torchon bleu à étoiles ! (vidéo ⤵️)Terminé !Comme un nombre croissant de paysans, il sait que seul le FREXIT sauvera l’agriculture française ! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/krhLgdog5J
— Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) February 1, 2026
“With Alexandre Patte, an angry farmer, we get rid of the blue dishcloth with stars! It’s over!” Philippot wrote. “Like a growing number of farmers, he knows that only FREXIT will save French agriculture!”
The politician argued that almost everyone in France is now suffering because of EU policies. He described the rally as “a national march for France’s exit from the EU and for the restoration of our independence,” as cited by TASS.
The wave of farmer protests in France escalated last year following the proposed free trade agreement between the EU and the South American bloc Mercosur. French farming unions have warned that the deal would ruin domestic producers with cheaper imports from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia, which are not subject to the same regulatory standards.
An Elabe poll conducted in December 2025 indicated that about eight in ten French people support the farmers’ grievances.
🚨 UPDATE: In a jaw-dropping act that's sending shockwaves across Europe, the mayor of the town of Magnanville ceremonially took down the European Union flag in front of the town hall.The mayor chanted, "Down with the EU, Ursula von der Leyen out – Viva la France!" pic.twitter.com/IKG2xdeICg
— WORLD NEWS (@_MAGA_NEWS_) January 31, 2026
Last week, the mayors of the towns of Magnanville and Gargenville in the Seine Valley removed EU flags from the façades of their town halls in a symbolic show of support for farmers.
“Down with the EU, Ursula von der Leyen out—Vive la France,” Magnanville mayor Michel Lebouc said after lowering the flag. His counterpart in Gargenville, Yann Perron, said French agriculture deserved protection.
