8th October – massive gathering at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, resonating with the sound of thousands of walking sticks
Date added: 19 September, 2016
After the massive mobilisations against the planned new airport at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, of January 9th and February 27th, the French government organised a biased consultation in June. That gave a small majority in favour of the airport scheme. Opponents of the airport believe the consultation did not give a fair result, due to the choice of its geographical cover. The government plans to start work on the airport in October, though those fighting the plans say there are still some legal details that are not yet complete. There is fear that the state will send in the gendarmes, and use force to clear the ZAD – the zone à defendre – which is where building needs to start. The ZAD has been occupied for years by those trying to block the scheme, and they have now built a large shed there, which they see as a demonstration of their determination not to be moved, and a base for the future. On 8th October there will be a huge protest against the ZAD being cleared by force. People who oppose the airport plan, from all over France, will converge. All are asked to walk, bringing walking sticks. There will be the same echo of the walking sticks on the ground, as at Larzac decades ago, as the people march. People will leave their sticks in the ZAD committing themselves together to come back for them, in the event of intervention by the authorities – to defend the farmers and their future of the land and the life on it.
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Demo – Construction – Feast
Driven by the massive mobilizations of January 9 and February 27, the government organized a biased consultation in June.
Believing firmly in the results of this masquerade consultation, the backers of the airport and the Prime Minister have confirmed their intention to proceed this autumn with the evacuation and destruction of the ZAD [ zone a defendre ] of Notre-Dame-des-Landes, its cultures, its fauna and flora, its habitats and activities and links between all those who are attached to this grove. These statements ignore the legal position of the case, since among other things, the work permits are still not granted.
Holders of the project seem to have not measured the determination of those who inhabit this grove of engaged militants at the side, the support the movement enjoys in the region and beyond, and the involvement of local committees.
These 2,000 hectares of farmland and those who live there today are bearers of ineradicable hope against the destruction of living, agricultural land and the commodification of the world. It is unthinkable that they will disappear!
At the initiative of the whole opposition movement for the airport project, we will mark October 8th as our common desire to prevent any aggression against the ZAD and any start of the works. Echoing many other peasant struggles such as the Larzac, [ a massive campaign against a military base in France, that lasted from about 1970 – 1981 ] the ground will ring with the sounds of thousands of our walking sticks. [ At Larzac, the rythmic sound of the walking sticks, tapping the ground as protesters walked, became a symbol of the protest, being emulated here ]. We shall leave our walking sticks there, committing ourselves together to come and take them back, in case of intervention, and to defend the ZAD, its habitants, peasant farmers and the future that it built.
We have also put up together a shed whose components were manufactured during the summer on the ZAD by tens of carpenters. This collective work is a manifestation of our will to organize for resistance by creating a place that will be a base of support in case of an eviction attempt, as much as a common structure for the future.
Converge towards Notre-Dame-des-Landes October 8, 2016,
Meeting at 10 am in the countryside, walking, tractor or bicycle. Let each bring a walking stick, carved, decorated and put it in the wheels of the project. All and all together, are preventing the airport!
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The original French:
Acculé par les mobilisations massives des 9 janvier et 27 février, le gouvernement a organisé en juin une consultation biaisée. Se croyant forts du résultat de cette mascarade, les pro-aéroport et le premier ministre ont confirmé leur intention de procéder cet automne à l’évacuation et à la destruction de la ZAD de Notre-Dame-des-Landes, de ses cultures, de sa faune et de sa flore, de ses habitats et activités ainsi que des liens entre toutes celles et ceux qui se sont attaché.es à ce bocage. Ces déclarations font fi de la situation juridique du dossier puisqu’entre autres les autorisations de travaux ne sont toujours pas accordées.
Les porteurs du projet ne semblent pas avoir non plus mesuré la détermination de celles et ceux qui habitent ce bocage, des militant.es engagé.es à leurs côtés, le soutien dont ce mouvement bénéficie dans la région et bien au-delà, ainsi que l’implication des comités locaux. Ces 2000 ha de bocage et ce qui s’y vit sont aujourd’hui porteurs d’espoirs indéracinables face au saccage du vivant, des terres agricoles et à la marchandisation du monde. Il est impensable qu’ils disparaissent !
A l’initiative de l’ensemble du mouvement d’opposition au projet d’aéroport, nous marquerons donc le 8 octobre notre volonté commune d’empêcher toute agression contre la ZAD et tout démarrage des travaux. En écho à bien d’autres luttes paysannes, comme au Larzac, nous ferons résonner le sol de milliers de bâtons. Nous les laisserons sur place, en nous engageant ensemble à venir les reprendre, en cas d’intervention, et à défendre la ZAD, ses habitant.es, paysan.nes et l’avenir qui s’y construit.
Nous monterons également ensemble un hangar dont les éléments ont été fabriqués durant l’été sur la ZAD par des dizaines de charpentier.es. Cette oeuvre collective concrétisera notre volonté de nous organiser pour la résistance en créant un lieu qui sera une base d’appui en cas de tentative d’expulsion, autant qu’une structure commune pour le futur.
Convergeons vers Notre-Dame-des-Landes le 8 octobre 2016,
Rendez-vous à 10h dans le bocage, à pied, en tracteur ou à vélo.
Que chacun-e apporte son bâton, sculpté, décoré et le mette dans les roues du projet.
Tous et toutes ensemble, empêchons l’aéroport !
Plus d’infos sur les sites acipa-ndl.fr et zad.nadir.org
Nous appelons les soutiens et comités de partout à s’organiser dès aujourd’hui pour le succès de cette mobilisation, en rediffusant cette information et en se coordonnant pour faciliter des moyens de transports collectifs.
Notamment via le site http://annonces-ndl.org
Evènement Facebook à partager : https://www.facebook.com/events/1579541885674902/
https://www.acipa-ndl.fr/actualites/divers/item/686-8-octobre-2016-nddl-que-resonnent-les-chants-de-nos-batons
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Press Release CEDPA – ACIPA – Monday, September 12, 2016
After biased consultation deliberately limited to the department of Loire-Atlantique in June, the ACIPA and CEDPA [two organisations fighting the new airport] are determined to obtain the cancellation of the declaration of public utility of 9 February 2008, which is the founding act for the work of building a new airport. They want it go back to the Council of State again.
Based on the findings of CGEDD, which recognizes the feasibility of optimizing Nantes-Atlantique (the existing airport that the new one at Notre Dame des Landes would replace) and the over-sizing of the proposed Notre-Dame-des-Landes, our two associations want to give this report the scope that Ségolène ROYAL undertook to confer upon its release last March. We also wish to highlight the incompatibility of the airport project with the legislative and the latest developments in case law.
In parallel, we remain vigilant on the infringement proceedings brought by the European Union, the French state is trying to regulate the rapid adoption of Scot Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, [Le Schéma de cohérence territoriale (SCoT) de la métropole Nantes Saint-Nazaire] including the public inquiry is organized from 19 September. The numerous reservations made by the Environmental Authority in its opinion of 20 July yet involve the commitment of additional studies, justifying a delay in the adoption of Scot. But it is an opinion that those pro-airport obviously want to happen …
Finally, we recall that the use “water law” and “protected species” are still in evidence by the Court of Appeal in Nantes.
Despite the stubbornness of the state and AGO, vigilance and determination of opponents remain intact in this autumn.
The original French at
https://www.acipa-ndl.fr/actualites/communiques-de-presse/item/689-vigilance-et-determination-des-opposants
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Posted: Monday, September 19th, 2016. Filed in News about Airports, Publicity & Politics, Recent News.
