Cédric Herrou is 37 years old and works as a farmer. He produces olives and eggs in the Roya valley, in the far south-east of France. Right on the border with lower Piedmont, which has made the area one of the entry points into French territory for migrants in transit through Italy.

A French railways holiday centre occupied

On 4 January, Cédric appeared before the judges of the Nice tribunal, charged with having provided assistance to foreigners in an irregular situation. In October, the farmer had allowed dozens of Eritrean migrants, without authorisation, to occupy a Sncf (French state railways) holiday centre that had been unused for a decade. The facility is located in the small town of Saint Dalmas de Tende and from the outset its use as shelter for migrants was the subject of strong protests from local administrations (governed by the conservatives of the Les Républicains party).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_RCdqnRTSE
For this act, Cédric risks being sentenced by the court to eight months in prison, with a suspended sentence, as well as the confiscation of his vehicle — a minibus purchased thanks to a collection among local residents — and the restriction of his driving licence to use solely for professional purposes. It is in his car, in fact, that the farmer was suspected of having transported migrants as far back as August.

"My actions were political actions"

When questioned by the judges, the farmer had claimed to have carried out "political actions". "I did it because it was necessary: these people are in difficulty. Some of them have lost their lives on motorways, there are entire families suffering, and a state that has closed its borders without managing the consequences of that decision in any way. That is why my conviction will not solve the problem."
Outside the court, around 300 people gathered to await the verdict, showing their support for the defendant. In the meantime, the migrants were evicted from the holiday centre following a police operation. The magistrates therefore asked Cédric what had become of the migrants: "About thirty underage young people have been taken in by residents of the area. I myself am housing three of them, along with a group of adults."

"I sheltered 58 migrants in my home"

"Before the occupation of the Sncf centre," the farmer added, "I was forced to shelter 58 people in my own home. That is why, with the support of a number of humanitarian organisations, we decided to look for a suitable place to house them." The magistrates, however, responded by explaining that "it is not the role of the justice system to change the laws of the state."
As he entered the courthouse, Cédric addressed the journalists present with these words: "What I am doing is not a sacrifice. For me, it is an honour."