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POLICE REMOVED ENVIRONMENTALISTS BEFORE THEY COULD SET UP AN ‘OCCUPATION ZONE’ A fresh wave of protesters were dispersed from construction sites on the A69 motorway at the weekend (October

21-22) after clashes between demonstrators and police. The protesters were removed on Sunday afternoon, allowing construction work to begin again, the prefect of the Tarn department, Michel

Vilbois, announced. Clashes between demonstrators and officers led to nine arrests and six police officers were “slightly injured,” Mr Vilbois added. Protesters had attempted to set up a

‘ZAD’ (_Zone à défendre_) at one of the construction sites, which the police were called in to clear. The A69 motorway, which will run between Toulouse and Castres, has been the site of

extensive protests by environmentalist groups, who believe the road’s construction will destroy wildlife habitats in the area. READ MORE: CONTROVERSIAL NEW MOTORWAY PROJECT RESUMES IN

SOUTHWEST FRANCE PROTESTERS FAIL TO SET UP A ‘ZAD’ The most recent demonstration saw environmental protestors attempt to create a so-called ‘ZAD’ to rally those against the motorway’s

construction. These zones are set up by environmental protestors at sites where they believe construction projects are harmful to the local environment. READ MORE: EXPLAINER: WHAT IS A ZAD

LAND ZONE AND WHERE ARE THEY IN FRANCE? The local prefecture said around 2,400 people turned up on Sunday to march to protest the motorway’s construction. Organisers say the figure was

closer to 10,000. Some radical ecologists remained on-site after the march and attempted to set up a ZAD nearby, using an old building close to the site as a base. They nicknamed the place

‘la Crémzad’, a portmanteau of _la Crémade _(the name of the field) and ZAD. > 🟪 Valorisation du territoire : ça s'installe à la Crémade (la > Crémzad désormais), dans maison de 

maitre expropriée pour le > chantier et réinvestie par les manifestant·e·s 🌞 > https://t.co/mbPVtMmuLN pic.twitter.com/87rsj4I7yt > — Les Soulèvements de la terre (@lessoulevements)

 October 21, > 2023 > A69 | Alors que les organisateurs s’étaient engagés à quitter > les lieux dès la fin de la manifestation, des individus radicaux se > sont installés 

illégalement dans une propriété privée. Les > forces de l’ordre sont sur place pour procéder à leur > interpellation. pic.twitter.com/f1yTfyLPHP > — Préfet du Tarn (@prefet81) 

October 22, 2023 Police were quick to respond and soon after Sunday’s march finished an ‘anti-ZAD cell’ entered the area to disperse the remaining environmentalists before they could

entrench themselves. Up to 1,600 officers were deployed to clear the site, with protesters alleging they used tear gas to clear people both before and during clashes. READ MORE: MAP: SEE

WHERE IN FRANCE MOTORWAYS ARE CURRENTLY PLANNED WHAT NEXT FOR THE MOTORWAY? Construction on the 53km road has begun again, although the project is still far from being completed. Numerous

protests – which also come from local residents who are against the construction – have delayed the construction. Organisers say they will continue to protest and believe public opinion is

shifting against the motorway. “Olivier Faure [the leader of France’s Socialist Party] has said that the project has to be stopped,” said Bernard Cottaz-Cordier from environmentalist group

La voie est libre. He also said that the French Communist Party has shifted its position on the road. From originally “keeping its distance” from the row, it is “now talking about the

project stopping,”. RELATED ARTICLES FRENCH CHATEAU OWNER HEARTBROKEN OVER MOTORWAY PLANNED 300M AWAY