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Anti-basin protests: several thousand people mobilized in La Rochelle
Many protesters gathered in La Rochelle on Saturday, July 20, to express their opposition to the megabasins. Generally good-natured, the mobilization was punctuated by some tensions with the police.
(franceinfo)
Many protesters gathered in La Rochelle on Saturday, July 20, to express their opposition to the megabasins. Generally good-natured, the mobilization was punctuated by some tensions with the police.
Clashes with the police took place during the rally in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) on Saturday 20 July. A procession of more than 3,000 people tried to reach the port. This demonstration against the megabasins had been banned by the prefecture. “The first objective is to demonstrate beyond the prohibitions, to assert our fundamental freedoms, to demonstrate, to express our opinions, to move around”explains a protester, who is demanding a moratorium on these water reserves.
In the afternoon, street furniture and a supermarket were vandalized. The atmosphere was different at the water’s edge, where protesters went for a swim as a way of mobilizing. Others tried to reach the port of La Pallice by kayak. 5,000 people according to the authorities and 10,000 according to the organizers paraded through the streets of the city. These demonstrations, often good-natured, are expected to continue on Sunday.
