The mayor of Saint-Jean-d’Angély struggles to find the words to describe what she feels. Saturday morning, June 4, she receives a message from her director of technical services, and two photos. François Mesnard describes: “I then saw the tree in the town hall square on the ground, cut down.” This act was committed at night. The lime tree was at least 80 years old. Françoise Mesnard immediately lodged a complaint with the gendarmerie.
It’s very distressing. There is still something very strong in the fact of taking a chainsaw and going to cut down a tree in a public place.
“I had never seen this, here or elsewhere, and yet it has been a few years since I was electedsays the mayor. We are used to small incivilities, signs moved on Saturday evening etc. But the…” For Françoise Mesnard, this wrongdoing is incomprehensible: “I don’t quite understand how people can come to do such things. _it is the common heritage of all the inhabitants_. It’s very scary, there is still something very strong in the fact of taking a chainsaw and going to cut down a tree in a public place”.
A place secured by video surveillance
Besides, a tree is a living being. He was coldly shot
After the emotion, the elected went to the gendarmerie, to file a complaint. The entire square of the town hall is secured by a video surveillance system, “that we changed a few months ago”, says Françoise Mesnard. The gendarmes started the viewing. The chosen one thus hopes to find those responsible, “that they be punished, she insists. And she has her idea: “They could do community service, replant trees“.
The tree will be turned into benches
Replanting trees is exactly what she wants to do. The mayor posted a message on her Facebook page at midday this Sunday, June 5 to inform residents of her intentions. You can read there: “The felled tree will be transformed into benches which will be installed in the square with a small commemorative plaque.” She will seek an association to set up crowdfunding to replant lime trees all over the square (the figure of 15 trees is mentioned). “It’s a project that we were planning for next year, we’re going to bring it forward”, adds Françoise Mesnard. These had been cut down from years to years, affected by diseases. A tree will also be replanted in the place of the unfortunate.
“It is important to show our protest in the face of such acts, the love of our city will be stronger” summons the mayor. She assures that the whole town is shocked: “Besides a tree, it’s a living being. It was coldly cut down.”