Angry French farmers dump on McDonald's
They use manure to protest U.S. trade sanctions

PARIS (AP) -- Angry farmers dumped peaches and manure in front of McDonald's outlets Saturday in southern France to protest U.S. trade sanctions and the increasing domination of multinational agricultural corporations.

The actions were the latest in a two-week campaign by farmers that has resulted in the arrest of five protesters charged with vandalizing a McDonald's restaurant under construction in central France.Protesters driving tractors dumped tons of manure in front of a McDonald's early Saturday in Arles. The farmers are asking McDonald's to drop charges against the five farmers arrested last week.

Hours later, 100 farmers in the southwestern town of Montauban dumped peaches in front of a McDonald's and a large supermarket.

France's farmer's union, the Confederation Paysanne, has called for a wave of demonstrations at McDonald's restaurants to protest U.S. sanctions on a slew of products, ranging from Roquefort cheese to foie gras. The sanctions were slapped on European goods in retaliation to the European Union's decision to ban imports of U.S. hormone-treated beef.

"Globalization is creating absurd economic conflicts," the union said in a statement, adding that the protests aim to "allow farmers and others to feed themselves as they think best."

The farmers say they are targeting McDonald's as a symbol of globalization.

Also Saturday, 400 fruit and vegetable growers blocked access to a supermarket and a McDonald's in Martigues.

The growers are complaining that French supermarkets are crushing their profits by paying low prices for their produce.