This October 21 and 22, a new demonstration against the A69 motorway project is organized while the government has just reiterated its decision to see the project through to completion. We take stock with NOWU, the environmental digital media from France Télévisions.
First of all, what is the A69?
It is a motorway project linking Castres to Toulouse, 53 km long and which must cross 20 municipalities. Objective of the project: to open up and support the development of the municipalities which will be crossed by the motorway. Expected commissioning date: 2025.
Why is this project controversial?
This is mainly for ecological reasons. Many environmental associations denounce a project which would lead to the disappearance of hundreds of hectares of agricultural land, the felling of a thousand trees and numerous refuges for biodiversity.
In September 2022, well before the start of the construction site which began last March, the National Nature Protection Council had also issued an unfavorable opinion on the project.
Since the spring, numerous anti-A69 mobilizations have taken place, without success.
En April already a demonstration bringing together several thousand people in Tarn had been organized to stop the construction site.
More recently, we have heard a lot about the A69 via the fight of tree defender Thomas Brail, who went on hunger and then thirst strike in September.
In open letter published in Obs, more than 1,500 scientists also called on the President of the Republic to abandon the project, arguing that it “keeps France on a trajectory incompatible with the ecological transition as enshrined in the law.”
Faced with this, the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune reaffirmed at the end of September that the government would soon take the decision to stop several road projects but nevertheless announced last Friday that the A69 would indeed be built, “until its sound term”.
The A69 project is not the only criticized project in progress
And if voices are raised against all these projects it is because in 2023, they are in total contradiction with the reality of the environmental emergency. According to environmental activist Marie Chureau, who has positioned herself against the project from the start, this money could instead finance the transition, “This is the emergency”.
Today. It is completely indecent to want to sacrifice biodiversity even more, to sell off spaces, the last spaces we have left in order to want to build roads when we already have a huge number of roads. And besides, there are plenty of countries which are starting to limit the construction of roads, for example in Wales, stand for the environment and allow the most roads to be built.
Marie Chureau, environmental activist
Marie will also be present this weekend during this major mobilization expected and organized by several environmentalist collectives who recall wanting to lead the fight “until its end” too, to use the words of the Minister of Transport.
NOWU it’s the positive media to get informed and take action for the planet! Its mission: to enable young Europeans to become actors in the face of environmental challenges through guilt-free and solution-oriented content.