In the peaceful Vosges region of northeastern France, a no-nonsense dairy farmer named Pierre Richard found himself pushed to the edge after repeated invasions of his family’s land by travellers.
After police told him there was little they could do, Pierre decided to take matters into his own hands — and he became an unlikely internet sensation in the process.
Spraying Slurry to Defend His Land Against Hundreds of Squatters
Pierre, 37, runs a fifth-generation farm near the village of Le Syndicat, and he says every year, hundreds of travellers arrive and illegally occupy parts of his fields.
This year, things came to a head when 250 caravans rolled onto his six-hectare property, including even a red Ferrari among the vehicles.
When Pierre arrived one Sunday night, the squatters had already broken barriers and set up camp.
After the police told him there was nothing they could do, he and another farmer decided to spray the intruders with stinky liquid manure, or slurry, as a last resort.
The now-viral footage shows the slurry spraying toward the caravans while the travellers furiously chase after the tractors.
Pierre made sure to keep a safe distance, but he described the situation as dangerous with some travellers even attacking the tractors.
Protecting His Farm and Family Legacy From Repeated Damage
Pierre explains that the travellers ignored a nearby official traveller site with available space and instead chose to camp on his picturesque farm — land that’s been in his family for five generations and used to feed his 50 dairy cows.
He described the damage left behind: flattened grass, ruined land, and polluted rivers from human waste.
He also highlighted water wastage, with squatters leaving hydrants running for hours during drought conditions.
Pierre said, “I’m not a hero. I’m just protecting my land from even bigger occupation.
If I hadn’t sprayed the slurry, who knows how many more caravans would have come?”
Other Farmers and Local Officials Speak Out About Growing Frustrations
Pierre’s story isn’t unique. Nearby farmers Dominic Frenot and Xavier Duc also expressed their frustrations, citing repeated damage caused by travellers occupying their prairies illegally.
Dominic said, “Everyone here is sick of the gypsies coming en masse and taking over our land. I admire Pierre for standing up to them.”
Despite taking complaints to court, Dominic never saw compensation for damages.
Xavier added that the damage costs them thousands of euros per hectare, with land taking years to recover.
Even the mayor of Le Syndicat, Pascal Claude, voiced his anger over the travellers’ encampment on protected natural land and water sources.
Legal Battles and Unmet Requests for Official Traveller Sites
The travellers, known locally as Parti d’Alsace, claimed that the official traveller site nearby didn’t have enough capacity for their 250-caravan convoy.
They had requested a site months in advance but said they never received a response from authorities.
After weeks of occupation, a court in nearby Epinal finally granted an eviction order, and the travellers left mid-July.
Their lawyer insisted their group had tried to comply with legal procedures but were ignored.
Pierre’s Fears for the Future and Call for Respectful Coexistence
Though the squatters have left, Pierre worries about reprisals and the possibility they might return.
“We don’t know who they are or what they might do,” he said.
He stresses he has nothing against travellers themselves — his plea is simply for respect and a chance to do his job and feed people without ongoing disruptions.
“Everyone deserves to live with dignity,” Pierre said, “but not at the expense of others.”