ENVIRONMENT – The family march turned into a fire. The flames engulfed a field in Migné-Auxances, northwest of Poitiers, on the fringes of the anti-basin demonstration, this Friday, July 19. The fire broke out shortly before 4 p.m., as the demonstrators were passing by, and caused “following the summons of the police and the use of tear gas grenades”confirmed the prefecture. In the process, environmental activists were ordered to leave the area.
“After trying to put it out (the fire), the protesters move away to safety as the flames spread rapidly”the collective Les Soulèvements de la terre communicated on X, pointing the finger at the responsibility of the police. As you can see in our video at the top of the articlethe march had to turn back and the demonstration came to a standstill according to journalists present on the scene.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced earlier this week the mobilization of more than 3,000 gendarmes and police officers to supervise the anti-bassine demonstrations in Vienne, Deux-Sèvres and Charente-Maritime. Helicopters and drones were also to be deployed, with the tenant of Place Beauvau raising the threat of serious violence, similar to the events in Sainte-Soline last October.
A march towards “sensitive sites”
This Friday, the march began around 3 p.m. The prefecture confirmed that the demonstrators were going around two “sensitive sites” : « an agricultural site (methanizer) » et « the Cérience seed packaging plant, a Seveso-classified site, in Cissé (150 employees) “, specifying that all necessary measures for the safety of people had been taken.
Friction between the police and the demonstrators nevertheless took place before the march, this Friday morning in Melle, in Deux-Sèvres, at the site of the ” Water Village “, where it was forbidden to demonstrate. Tear gas grenades were fired, the prefecture confirmed.
“The atmosphere is festive, measured, with people who have experienced Sainte-Soline and who have absolutely no intention of experiencing the same thing again. The instruction is that we are not going to a confrontation”assured Julien Le Guet, spokesperson for the Bassines Non Merci collective, to AFP.
A festive atmosphere at the giant picnic
France Blue Poitou reported that Les Soulèvements de la Terre had moved the location of the protesters’ picnic. It was originally supposed to be held in the Saint-Sauvant forest but was moved to the Pré Sec park in Migné-Auxances. The new location was not subject to a ban on protests. Linda Lazare, spokesperson for the environmental group, also mentioned “too many checks and searches” in the initial area.
Around noon, the protesters were present in their hundreds at the new meeting place. According to the organizers, some 1,500 people had gathered for a picnic in a festive atmosphere, singing songs in opposition to the agricultural basin projects. A second rally is planned for Saturday, July 20 at the port of La Rochelle.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.fr
