Activists denounce a “denial of democracy”.
They will have spent two nights in the trees. Thursday January 30 between noon and 1 p.m., the Compiègne police has dislodged THE “squirrels“, These activists Anti-channel Seine North who had settled in two plane trees, at the entrance to the Guynemer court. Since the night before, this occupation has been monitored by law enforcement.
The intervention of the police had been brooding since morning. “Without warning us, the forces arrived violently, repelled people who were there peacefully,” describes an activist, who speaks of “denial of democracy”. “We simply occupied public space, but we did not mind anyone,” he believes. On the contrary, we had enriching discussions with inhabitants of the territories which were not aware of this project. ”
“There is a desire to silence us”, for the activist, about an interview proposed and then canceled by the sub-prefecture. The opponent of the canal indicates that the police took several of them to the police station.
Already the day before, the occupation was suspended
First of all, the firefighters are the day before, installed their vehicles. Very quickly followed by the police. “It started around 6.30 p.m. Wednesday evening,” said an activist. The firefighters checked the safety of squirrel harnesses. They found that everything was fine. The trees being in particular sufficiently far from the road. ”
Then an ambulance arrived. “I do not know what the message the State wanted to convey, but it is not supposed to reassure,” he believes. Police vehicles followed. “They were clearly there to make us leave,” says this activist. They wore LBD (defense ball launchers). They told us “either you leave, or we make you go”. “
“The prefect canceled the meeting he had offered us”
This first exchange on Wednesday evening gave way to a discussion. “The police chief came to tell us that the prefect offered us an appointment the next day on the“ base of life ”of Longueil-Sainte-Marie, for a dialogue at 9:30 am. We said we agreed. Then everyone left. ” The squirrels and their supporters therefore spent a second night on site.
Thursday morning, around 8:30 am, an hour before the meeting with the state representative, the situation changed. “We were told that the meeting would now be made at the sub-prefecture, provided that the squirrels descend,” says the activist. We replied that our are not the leaders of anyone. If the squirrels decide to stay, we can not. We still went to the sub-prefecture. But there, we learned that the prefect had canceled the appointment. ”
Public meeting on the Seine Nord canal still planned for Shamrock Thursday at 6 p.m.
The brutal end of the operation does not question the public meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 30 at 6 p.m. at the Shamrock pub. “The goal is to clarify lies,” say the organizers.
The purpose of the “pacifist” operation is to raise awareness of passers -by who wonder about these bivouacs six meters from the ground. Very close to the marina, and not far from the house of the Seine Nord canal, which houses a permanent public exhibition.
Below, anti-channel citizens argue against the ecological consequences of this 107km project, which will profoundly transform the landscape, between Compiègne and Aubencheul in the North. “Investing nearly 8 billion euros, when this will not have the consequences announced on employment and traffic, it is not worth it,” they say.
Activists claim a moratorium on this project, “which we must talk about publicly”.
