Opponents of the construction of the A69 motorway between Castres and Toulouse are opposing deforestation on the construction site by occupying certain trees.
Published
Reading time: 1 min
![A worker dismantles the shelter of an opponent on the A69 construction site in a tree, in Saix, in the Tarn, on September 1, 2024. (ED JONES / AFP)](https://www.francetvinfo.fr/pictures/0tcai8ljfWfpDOhHXQ8Q1ZlZmLQ/0x143:7949x4612/432x243/2024/09/02/000-36fa9fk-66d558953081d836996056.jpg)
Sébastien Simoes, secretary general of the Tarn prefecture, called on France Bleu Occitanie on Monday September 2nd to those opposed to the A69 construction site “the reason is to come down from the trees they are illegally occupying.” He assures that Monday morning “deforestation is almost complete” on the construction site of the future highway, considering that only “two or three trees” were not cut this weekend in the Saïx sector “because occupied by opponents”.
In total, “17 individuals were arrested throughout the weekend” And “very few clashes took place when the trees were being cut down,” according to Sébastien Simoes. The secretary general of the prefecture recalls that “The Castres judicial court sentences any person who appears illegally on this land to a penalty of 1 000 euros per day”. He warns that “operations will be carried out to try to bring down” the last opponents. “The gendarmes will be present on the territory for as long as necessary”he adds.