A French farmer has gone viral after taking extreme measures to drive off a group of Travellers who illegally occupied his land in the Hautes-Vosges region. Footage circulating on social media shows the dramatic moment tractors circled a field, spraying what appeared to be gallons of foul-smelling liquid manure directly at caravans, vehicles, and even at the squatters themselves.
At least one individual was seen clinging to the side of a moving tractor, shaking his fist in anger before eventually falling off into the sludge-soaked ground. The incident, which took place on July 8, follows growing frustration among farmers across Europe over illegal encampments and a perceived lack of police intervention.
In this case, local reports claim the farmer acted after being “ignored” by law enforcement when a large group of Travellers moved onto his property without permission.
Around a dozen white caravans, several vehicles, and even a red Ferrari were seen parked along the edges of the private land, until the manure made conditions unbearable.
“We had no other choice,” one local farmer reportedly said. “We’ve asked the authorities for help, and nothing happens. So we took action ourselves.”
The liquid sprayed is believed to be slurry, a pungent mix of water and pig manure often used to fertilise farmland but notorious for its unbearable stench. The tactic, while unorthodox, is not unheard of among landowners dealing with unwanted visitors.
Reaction online has been overwhelmingly supportive, with many praising the farmer for standing his ground. One user called the video “the feel-good clip of the day,” while another wrote: “That’s what you call natural deterrent. Respect!”
The incident comes amid a wider surge in squatting cases across Europe, not only in rural farmland but in private homes as well. Just this week, a British woman in Spain revealed she was forced to sell her €450,000 (£392,000) villa near Benidorm after a tenant refused to leave and stopped paying rent.
The property was eventually reclaimed in a trashed state, filled with drug paraphernalia.
As frustrations mount, some landowners are turning to increasingly drastic, and highly visible, methods to reclaim what’s theirs. For one French farmer, that meant unleashing the full power of his slurry tank.