Tensions escalated in Hautes-Vosges, France, after a group of farmers took matters into their own hands to remove a large “illegal gypsy camp” of squatters from their land. With no help from authorities,
the farmers responded in their way by spraying slurry across the area.
The entire incident was caught on camera and the video is now making rounds on social media. According to a report in The Telegraph, around 400 caravans had set up camp on the farmland at the beginning of July without any official permission.
Tractors Spray Sludge
In a widely circulated video, farmers can be seen driving tractors around the field. They are spraying a sludgy liquid, which is reportedly a mixture of manure and water called slurry, directly onto the parked caravans and vehicles. A thick stream of brown sludge trails behind each tractor as they circle the camped area.
People from the camp can be seen running after the vehicles in an attempt to stop the tractors. One man even manages to jump onto a moving tractor and bang on the window, while another falls while trying to keep up. A car also tries to block the path of a tractor but turns away to avoid the spray.
‘We Find Ourselves Alone, Powerless’
“The problem is that we find ourselves alone, powerless. They come back every year. We asked them to leave, but they won’t. There have been clashes with the farmers. We understand why they are not happy,” Pascal Claude, the mayor of the area, said as quoted by The Telegraph.
Local media reports that the squatters, identified as a travelling gypsy community, have returned to the same land multiple times over the years. With no legal support or action from the police, farmers say they felt they had no choice but to act.
What People Are Saying Online
As the footage gained traction on social media, many users shared their reactions.
One user wrote, “Bruh, how inconsiderate do you have to be to camp on a farmer’s field. Like dude, that’s their livelihood and you could be at the very least screwing with the soil.”
Another said, “Gotta love how the squatters got fully baited into this, running through the poo and even getting it on their cars.”
“You are getting rid of them and fertilising at the same time,” someone joked while a person simply commented, “I can smell this video.”
A Similar Incident Happened In UK
Last year, a British farmer named Jack Bellamy used the same method when he found a camper trespassing on his land. He got into his tractor and sprayed slurry on the person.
