Environmental activists to appear in court after violent clashes during protest at reservoir

Environmental activists at a protest against another reservoir in Paris last month Photo: ALAIN JOCARD/AFP

Nine French environmental activists appear is facing trial for organizing a banned protest against controversial reservoir plans that ended in violent clashes with police.

Unionists and Greens say the case is part of a «political» campaign by President Emmanuel Macron's administration to outlaw » civil disobedience» and their right to demonstrate against environmentally harmful practices.

The group faces a maximum of six months in prison each and a fine of up to €7,500 (£6,400) for their role in organizing a total of two protests against a giant irrigation reservoir near Saint-Saline in western France, which critics say will allow farmers to » accumulate» water.

Demonstrations that took place in October 2022 and March this year were banned in advance by the authorities.

During the second demonstration, about 5,000 protesters clashed with more than 3,000 police. Two protesters were left in a coma, and about 30 officers were injured.

In June, the French government issued a decree banning the main climate activist group behind the protests, SLT, whose supporters include Nobel laureate Annie Hernault.

SLT is part of a new wave of more radical climate activist groups, including Extinction Rebellion, which accuses governments of failing to do enough to combat global warming.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin accused some of his members of being «eco-terrorists».

But last month, in a setback for Mr Macron, the Conseil d'Etat, France's highest court, suspended the decree and expressed «serious doubts» about allegations that the group posed a threat to public safety.

SLT activists were in the dock on Friday, as well as members of the Conféderation Paysanne farmers' union and two union members.< /p>

“This shows how far the government is willing to go,” said Hervé Augin of Solidaires. union in advance.

“We are treated like eco-terrorists, this is unacceptable. The verdict will be historic. There are nine of us (today). Next time there will be hundreds of us.”

Civil disobedience

Although police banned gatherings near the courthouse in Niort, some 2,000 people, including union and green leaders, attended sanctioned protests in other parts of the city to show their support accused.

Confederation Paysanne criticized what she called «confederation». «criminalization of political and trade union activities» in favor of «equal access» to water, which he called «a vital common asset.»

Alice Becker, a lawyer for the influential left-wing CGT union, one of whose members is in the dock, asked question of why charges were brought against individuals rather than the organizations they represented.

She added that this suggests «a desire to intimidate people and scare people.»

On Thursday, French Justice Minister Eric Dupont-Moretti accused the “far left” of fomenting “civil disobedience” through such protests.

“Some say we have the right to no longer obey the law when we fight for a “legitimate cause.” » This is hell,” he said.

But CGT leader Sophie Binet hit back. “Without civil disobedience, the United States would still have apartheid, racist laws, and women would still not have the right to vote,” she said.

“Excessive force”

In June, government spokesman Olivier Veran told SLT «incited violence in Saint-Saline by inviting rioters who came from all over Europe with metal bars and boules balls to try to kill police officers.»

But critics accused the authorities of stoking tensions through heavy-handed measures. reported police tactics and aggressive confrontation with demonstrators.

The French League of Human Rights subsequently stated that “as soon as the demonstrators arrived at the reservoir site, the police opened fire on them with military weapons: tear gas grenades, stun grenades, explosive grenades and rubber bullets.»

«The deployment puts everyone present at risk of serious harm,» it said.

United Nations experts have meanwhile called on France to review its policing practices. expressing concern about «reports of excessive use of force» against protesters, particularly in St. Solin.

The trial continues.