Nearly 50,000 protesters, 520 tractors, 65 cars from all over France ... And yet, the
media spoke a few broken windows. The demonstration against the airport project
Notre-Dame-des-Landes February 22 in Nantes is a milestone in the fight. ---- The event on
February 22 in Nantes, against the airport project at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, was the
result of a long process of organization and coordination. Its scope, the repression has
been through its media coverage and strategic issues it raises, it is now interesting to a
point on the mobilization. ---- It had the distinction of having been worn by all
components of the struggle of it ACIPA[1] zadistes up, through collective Pal[2], and of
course the 200 local committees distributed in France. This preparation in the unit
allowed the deployment of a high energy to make this event an extraordinary event
(batukadas, troops clowns, bands, giant salamander and newt ...). Organize an event of
such magnitude ? involves a disciplined organization, the prefecture has tried to sabotage
the eve prohibiting the planned route. For prohibit hear: block all the streets of the
very center of Nantes by filter dams riot police.
This event was intended to send a clear message to one month municipal elections and show
that mass mobilization was still possible. Success of this event was so decisive when
proa?roport and never ceased to ads claiming a rapid onset of work.
Yes, this event was a success. At noon in front of the prefecture, the atmosphere was
already festive, with picnic and music under the sun, towing of all kinds, especially the
incessant flow ? thousands of people arriving from all corners of the city. The square and
adjacent streets were so full of people: 40,000 ? 50,000 demonstrators of all ages have
come. 520 tractors, they are entered into the city by five different doors in the morning.
At this stage, the bet was already won, not a protest against the airport had not met many
people. For comparison, the last major event of its kind in Nantes, March 24, 2012,
brought together 10,000 people and 200 tractors.
But the prefecture has also played the card show of force: 2,000 policemen, gendarmes and
CRS, a helicopter, the IFNU and five water cannons. She definitely wanted this challenge
by deploying disproportionate along a route already restricted device a demonstration was
declared "popular, festive and determined." With the consent of a large majority of the
protesters, the city of Nantes was cheerfully painted, tags have flourished on the banks
along the procession route. The local Vinci Immobilier was, meanwhile, cleanly unmounted,
a backhoe left near the demo (coincidence?) Was burned and a police closed curtain has
been redecorated.
Suppress to break
One hour after the start of the event, the forces of disorder send the first tear on the
crowd in front of the riot wall blocking the main artery from the center of Nantes. In a
few hours they used at least 1,700 tear gas and fired dozens of times flashball
indiscriminately into the crowd. On February 22, CHU Nantes, overwhelmed, identified 40
emergency admissions for injuries caused by the police. The number of injured es far
beyond the hundred and three people were ?borgn?es. In a case like this, it is obviously
not "mistakes." Moreover there had arrested 14-es, the police did not therefore instructed
to call that day, but to injure and maim to terrorize protesters and demonstrators. Yet
the crowd was not d?bin?e despite stun grenades and water cannons that accompanied the
tear gas. Thousands of people have faced police for several hours, even encouraging the
most radical activists who went to phish using a grapple makeshift grills police to put-down.
Challenging the "monopoly of legitimate violence" available to the State to silence those
who resist is essential, clashes with security forces on February 22 was also a clear
message that we don ' were not afraid to defend ourselves and we are ready for that.
Nevertheless, the symbolic and dramatic function of the "breaks" of certain symbols (SNCF,
Fram ...) must be questioned when we see how it was, once again, easily recovered by
government and media, thus avoiding speak on the success of the event. prospect
What is certain is that the strength of a struggle as that of Notre-Dame-des-Landes lies
in its diversity of tactics between legal remedies that slow the state and forced him to
drop his democratic mask when trample, mass demonstrations, radical actions to interfere ?
Vinci wherever he is and resistance in the Zad itself.
Today, the struggle continues, more massive than ever after the huge success of 22 and the
unit is maintained. We must tirelessly continue to fight the battle of ideas while
actually organizing resistance in the field. If the socialist government decided once
again to send his minions expel Zad, the 200 local committees will return all in action
where they are and solidarity will be activated within a few hours as a wildfire.
The government some leeway and folder Notre-Dame-des-Landes is for him more and more
cumbersome, especially when the last survey on this subject indicates that only 22% of the
population is "for" construction of the new airport. An upcoming cabinet reshuffle would
blow Ayrault, the symbolic carrier of this project would be one possible way out for the
government.
Notre-Dame-des-Landes is more than ever a hope for all those who oppose worldwide
devastating to all these projects, which have the function that fill the pockets of
shareholders and not to satisfy the needs. Here as elsewhere, nothing is loose!
Ana?s and Benjamin (AL Nantes)
[ 1] Civic Association Intermunicipal Populations affected by the Airport project
[ 2] Collective Agricultural Organisations outraged by the airport project
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