Dozens of farmers who descended on a food market outside Paris have been arrested, as tensions over protests for better conditions escalated, reports the BBC.
The French government had warned that disruption at Rungis, a food distribution hub which feeds 12 million people, would cross a red line.
About 91 farmers who converged on the market are in custody, police said.
Farmers are aiming to stop food deliveries reaching supermarkets, in a call for better pay and less red tape.
Rungis, located on the southern edge of the capital, is known as "the belly of Paris", providing much of the fresh fish, fruit, meat and vegetables the region consumes each day. It is the second largest market of its kind in the world.
In anticipation of their arrival, police units with armoured vehicles had been deployed along the A6 motorway to the market, and police checkpoints were set up around its access points.
The protesters entered the market's storage area and caused damage before they were taken out by security forces, a source told AFP news agency.
Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said authorities "cannot tolerate disturbances to public order", BFMTV reported.