Thousands of people marched against the controversial A69 motorway in south-west France at the weekend, two months after the last demonstration in Toulouse (Occitanie).
The local prefecture said there were 1,500 people present on Sunday, April 21, while organisers claimed that 5,000 took to the streets in protest against the motorway, which has faced major opposition for years. The march was peaceful and no incidents were reported.
The march included campaigners - including those from Attac, Extinction Rebellion, La Voie est Libre, Greenpeace, the CGT union, and the Green party - association representatives, local residents, families, and ministers who oppose the project.
All called for construction on the motorway to be halted, saying that better alternative options exist.
Protester placards featured messages including: "Stop the damage. Long live the bus, the train, the bicycle", "Less growth, more happiness", and "They have the concrete, we have the floor".
One speaker at the event said: 鈥淭his motorway will never happen.鈥�
馃毧 Ils r锚vent b茅ton, on r锚ve eau potable. 馃殙 Ils r锚vent 辫茅补驳别s, on r锚ve train de proximit茅. 馃帺 Ils r锚vent lobbies, on r锚ve d茅mocratie.
No macadam 脿 !
鈥� Hadrien Clouet (@HadrienClouet)
15 heures, la manifestation contre s'茅lance apr猫s plus d'une heure de mise en route sur les all茅es Jean-Jaur猫s de . En pr茅sence de toutes les formations de gauche, syndicats CGT en t锚te, des 茅lus et des cyclistes de la Cyclo ayant rejoint le cort猫ge - 馃摲L. Dard
鈥� La D茅p锚che 31 (@ladepeche31)
One resident said: 鈥淲e live along the route and we don't want this motorway or the tarmac factories associated with it. There are other solutions, such as upgrading the N126, that could happen instead. So yes, we support this movement.鈥�
C'est l'heure des discours devant le Palais de Justice o霉 le cort猫ge des opposants 脿 l'autoroute est arriv茅 il y a plusieurs minutes d茅j脿 -馃摲 Laurent Dard
鈥� La D茅p锚che 31 (@ladepeche31)
Foot protesters were also joined by cyclists, who had left Castres nine days earlier and ceremoniously arrived in Toulouse city centre during the action. Their bike journey was a symbolic way to show that 鈥渁nother way is possible鈥�, protesters said.
Pierre D茅aux, from the La Voie est Libre action group, said: 鈥淲e left Castres nine days ago. We have lobbied to defend our 鈥榓nother way鈥� project, which we launched four months ago. And then we [rode] in stages to thank everyone who has supported us in this fight.鈥�
Ad
Previous protests against the motorway include the building of a concrete wall in the middle of a national road, and opponents attempting to occupy the project.
In February, environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg even attended one of the protests.
Economic vs environmental concerns
A map of the planned route on the controversial A69 motorway from Toulouse to CastresAtosca
Construction has begun on the motorway, which will link Castres to Toulouse (Atosca)
Proponents of the motorway say that it is a question of economic survival鈥� for the south of Tarn, but critics say it will be environmentally disastrous and superfluous to existing route options.
Opponents are also unhappy with the suggested 鈧�17 辫茅补驳别 charge for a return journey on the new route, which they have called a 鈥渞acket鈥�. Campaigners are also calling for improvements to be made to the existing road instead of the construction of a new one.
Atosca response
Project owner Atosca has not disagreed with those who are warning of the environmental impact of the road, and the government has also said that environmental concerns have been taken into account.
Martial Gerlinger, managing director of the company, said: 鈥淲e are taking note of the recommendations and are improving our plans.鈥�
He said that the A69 would 鈥渞ise to the challenges of sustainable, low-carbon transport鈥�, and would include a range of environmentally-friendly measures, including the building of 16 charging stations for electric cars, and 200 鈥渆ngineering structures鈥� to enable wildlife to cross.
