In France, opponents of megabasins met this Saturday at the port of La Rochelle, in western France, to demonstrate against these gigantic artificial water reservoirs. A festive march called by the collective “Bassines non merci” brought together nearly 10,000 people, according to the organizers. It ended late in the afternoon after a few clashes on the fringes of the procession.
4 mins
Thousands of people demonstrated this Saturday in La Rochelle, in the west of the Franceagainst the megabasins, these contested irrigation reserves for agriculture. Up to 10,000 people took part in the rallies, according to the organizers. 6,000, including 500 “black blocs”, were present, according to the prosecutor’s office. This was the second demonstration in two days against these agricultural projects. This one was punctuated by clashes between demonstrators and the police.
Clashes on the fringes of the procession
A substantial police presence had been put in place but very early this Saturday, around 200 demonstrators thwarted it by sneaking into the agro-industrial terminal at the port of La Pallice, who were then peacefully dislodged by the police.
Read alsoMegabasins and water wars
But the demonstrators did not stop there and the port remained the target of the two processions that set off early in the afternoon. In one of them, gendarmes charged at the back of the procession, firing tear gas grenades and baton blows after damage to bus shelters and shops in particular.
” We respected the fact of not intruding on the site (of the commercial port, editor’s note). That was what they feared but that was the deal. And the deal was broken. “, deplored Juliette Rivière, spokesperson for the environmental movement Soulèvements de la Terre, one of the organizers. The breakup of the procession was accompanied by brief clashes with barricades, trash can fires, vandalism, throwing of projectiles and tear gas grenades. According to a report from the La Rochelle prosecutor’s office, four members of the police force were injured and five demonstrators, all slightly. Seven people were arrested, mainly for trespassing.
In the other, calmer and more family-oriented procession, Sylvie regrets these excesses: ” How many cops are there? Why don’t they arrest the 150 people when 10,000 people are peacefully demonstrating? In the press, they’ll say it’s violent when it’s a just ecological fight. “.
A fair fight, that is also the opinion of Camille who says he is frustrated after a week of mobilization in the “water village” in Deux-Sèvres. I am frustrated because we have been harassed by the police for a week. We have not been given a chance to protest peacefully. ” he said.
Read alsoFrance: At the “water village”, protesters plead for better sharing of this resource
” It’s a water grab”
Why the commercial port of La Rochelle? Because it is the second largest exporter of cereals in the country, emblems of the agro-industry, according to Laurence Marandola, spokesperson for the Confédération paysanne union. This perfectly symbolises a French agro-industrial agricultural model which only seeks to produce as much as possible to make money on world markets. “, the unionist believes. And she adds: ” Cereals are the agricultural product where there is the most speculation and it is this export agricultural model which imposes large volumes and ever larger farms and which is dependent on pesticides, fertilizers and this basin model. “.
The anti-mega basin collective believes that the port’s huge grain silos are “ the last link in the chain irrigated by the mega basins “These artificial lakes are in fact mainly intended for the irrigation of wheat and fodder corn fields for export.
And only a few operators have access to it, denounces the farmer. It is a water grab so there is no sharing of water between farmers. And besides, the mega basins are the opposite of a solution that respects the water cycle and the natural storage of water in the soil and water tables. ” she scolds.
Read alsoMega-basins: why are they getting so much attention?