PARIS, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- French officials promised Monday to make changes to a transportation tax after a violent weekend protest by about 1,000 farmers in Brittany.
Farmers in the western province who see the tax as having a severe impact on them set tires on fire and blockaded a tax-collection booth Saturday, Radio France International reported.
Saying he "perfectly understood" the demonstrators' message, Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll said he would propose changes to the law.
Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said the law would see "adaptations." However, he said the law would not be scrapped entirely or that its implementation would not be delayed beyond its proposed start on Jan. 1.
The law imposes a tax on delivery vehicles weighing more than 3.8 tons. The tax could be reduced by at least 50 percent for vehicles in Brittany, which is far from Paris and southern France.
The weekend protests turned violent, with farmers clashing with police. Protesters have promised to hold a similar demonstration Saturday in the Breton town of Quimper.
