PARIS, France: French farmers blocked key roads and landmarks in Paris before dawn on January 8, escalating protests against a planned European Union trade agreement with South American nations and voicing anger over how the government is handling a cattle disease outbreak.

Farmers from several unions drove tractors into the capital, overrunning police checkpoints to reach central areas including the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, where they blocked surrounding roads while police contained the demonstration. The action came as EU member states prepared to vote on the long-awaited free trade deal with the Mercosur bloc.

Multiple farm unions called the protests amid fears the agreement would open the door to cheap food imports that could undercut European producers. Farmers are also protesting the government's response to a highly contagious cattle disease.

"We are between resentment and despair. We have a feeling of abandonment, with Mercosur being an example," said Stephane Pelletier, a senior member of the Coordination Rurale union, speaking to Reuters beneath the Eiffel Tower.

Dozens of tractors also obstructed highways leading into Paris ahead of the morning rush hour, including the A13 from the western suburbs and Normandy. The transport minister said the disruptions caused traffic jams stretching up to 150 kilometers.

The demonstrations add pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government just a day before EU countries are expected to vote on the trade accord. With no parliamentary majority, Macron faces the risk that any policy misstep could trigger a vote of no confidence.

France has long opposed the Mercosur deal, and Macron's final stance remained unclear despite last-minute concessions aimed at addressing French concerns. The European Commission this week proposed making 45 billion euros of EU funding available earlier to farmers under the bloc's next seven-year budget and agreed to cut import duties on some fertilisers, moves designed to sway wavering countries.

The agreement is backed by EU members such as Germany and Spain, and the Commission appeared closer to securing Italy's support. If Rome backs the deal, the EU would have enough votes to approve the accord regardless of France's position.

Farmers are also demanding an end to the government's policy of culling cows in response to lumpy skin disease, which they argue is excessive. They are instead calling for vaccination.

Police avoided confrontation with the protesters, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said. "Farmers are not our enemies," he said.