Notre-Dame-des-Landes: 1,000 kites “occupy” the sky – symbolic of opponents’ determination to keep it free of planes
On Sunday 4th August, as many as 8,000 people gathered at Notre Dame des Landes as part of a weekend of protest against the planned new airport for Nantes. People have again come from all over France to show their support for the airport opposition. In the morning, they flew some 1,000 or so kites, many that had been made in preceding weeks and many with slogans on them. The aim of the kite flying was symbolically to occupy the skies and show that the skies above the Notre Dame des Landes bocage countryside (the site chosen for the kite flying is due to be an airport terminal) are free; the campaigners intend these skies to remain free from planes. Some of the kites read, in French, “Pour que nos libertés occupent le ciel” and “Le ciel libre aux hommes libres” (“For our freedom occupy the sky”, “Free sky to free men” ). The two day gathering had a festival atmosphere, with music (musicians playing under a sign that read “Un aéroport à NDDL, jamais !”) and also lectures and speeches. ACIPA has been organized a summer gathering for 13 years on the same site, but this was the largest yet.
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And there is a short video clip (2 minutes) of the kites, the gathering and the music at
Un millier de cerf-volants ont été lâchés dans le ciel
Notre-Dame-des-Landes: Opponents’ “occupy the sky “
4.8.2013 ( 20minutes.fr)
ECOLOGY – Thousands of people gathered Sunday to say no to airport Notre-Dame-des-Landes in a festive atmosphere …
An armada of kites against Airbus and Boeing: opponents of the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport project, which gathered thousands of supporters this weekend north of Nantes, chose to occupy the skies too, to influence the government.
Keep the air space
On a vast field of freshly harvested wheat there are concerts and conferences until Sunday evening, with the organizers working to make a thousand kites designed to symbolically keep the airspace above the Nantes countryside.
On the ground, two young women squatting write a message on a large red and white triangular kite “so that our freedoms occupy the sky.” “The open sky to free men,” reads one of these messages.
The ACIPA, the leading association of historical opponents of the airport project in the 1960s, claimed more than 8,000 participants in festive gathering Saturday from 20:00, while the prefecture of Loire-Atlantique were counted between 3500 -4 000 three hours earlier.
The ACIPA, which has organized this summer gathering for 13 years on the site which is planned for the future airport terminal, have never done things on such a large scale, with a bloated security service, capitals, and a giant scene which musicians parading under a sign proclaiming “An airport NDDL, never! “. (“Un aéroport à NDDL, jamais !”)
Tryo and Sanseverino
Other festival-goers were expected to attend the concerts of musicians known as Tryo and Sanseverino until late Sunday night. Many artists have rallied since the police attempted to evacuate the site in October to make way for excavators, observes Julien Durand, spokesman for the ACIPA.
This initiative has boosted the fight against the project entrusted construction group Vinci, and which should have been ready in 2017. At that point the government requested additional studies on the project and the police withdrew in April.
“Another model of society”
“The symbolism of this place is the resistance,” told AFP jazzman Lubat Bernard, a former musician Claude Nougaro happened Saturday. The mindset that prevails in Notre-Dame-des-Landes, “I knew the Larzac,” recalls the musician, who made the connection with jazz “music revolt of people who are released of slavery. ”
The rally saw as a separate society, where money does not reign. “It’s good to be with people who have the same desires, the same ideas, the same visions of society,” says Nicolas Dhervaux, 33, came from nearby Morbihan with his girlfriend Marie-Cécile, Assistant to education like him in a vocational school.
Access to the festival is free, but spectators are strongly encouraged on their arrival to contribute towards expenses. “People give an average of between 5 and 20 euros,” says Miriam, cashier installed in a trailer at the entrance. “It sometimes goes up to 50 euros, people are very generous,” she said.
Ayrault in the crosshairs
Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault , Mayor of Nantes and former strong supporter of the airport project, is in the crosshairs. “It would be better to recognize that he lost on that shot,” slice Maria Theresa, a native of the nearby village of retired Bouvron, which carries a sticker with the words “Not to the airport and to the world” .
“We came here to defend our farmers colleagues. But the fundamental issue is calling for another model of society, “says the old farmer, who said he campaigned for the first time against the airport project” 43 years ago. ”
But nobody dares to comment on the government’s intentions. “Mystery,” says Marie-Therese.
http://www.20minutes.fr/planete/1206623-20130804-notre-dame-des-landes-opposants-occupent-ciel
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.Original article in French:
ECOLOGIE – Des milliers de personnes se rassemblent ce dimanche pour dire non à l’aéroport de Notre-Dame-des-Landes dans une ambiance festive…
Une armada de cerfs-volants contre des Airbus et des Boeing: les opposants au projet d’aéroport de Notre-Dame-des-Landes, qui ont rassemblé des milliers de sympathisants ce week-end au nord de Nantes, ont choisi d’occuper aussi le ciel pour faire plier le gouvernement.
Garder l’espace aérien
Sur l’immense champ de blé fraîchement moissonné où sont organisés concerts et conférences jusqu’à dimanche soir, les organisateurs s’activent à confectionner un millier de cerfs-volants destinés à garder symboliquement l’espace aérien au dessus du bocage nantais.
A même le sol, deux jeunes femmes accroupies écrivent un message sur un grand cerf-volant triangulaire rouge et blanc «pour que nos libertés occupent le ciel». «Le ciel libre aux hommes libres», peut-on lire sur un de ces messages.
L’Acipa, la principale association d’opposants historiques au projet d’aéroport qui remonte aux années 1960, a revendiqué plus de 8.000 participants au rassemblement festif à compter de samedi 20h00, tandis que la préfecture de Loire-Atlantique en avait dénombré entre 3.500 et 4.000 trois heures plus tôt.
L’Acipa, qui organise ce rassemblement estival depuis 13 ans sur le site prévu pour la future aérogare, n’avait jamais fait les choses en aussi grand, avec un service d’ordre pléthorique, des chapiteaux, des secouristes et une scène géante sur laquelle défilent les musiciens sous un panneau proclamant «Un aéroport à NDDL, jamais !»
Tryo et Sanseverino
D’autres festivaliers étaient attendus dimanche jusque tard dans la nuit pour assister aux concerts de musiciens connus comme Tryo et Sanseverino. Beaucoup d’artistes se sont mobilisés depuis que les forces de l’ordre ont tenté d’évacuer le site en octobre pour laisser la place aux pelleteuses, observe Julien Durand, porte-parole de l’Acipa.
Cette initiative a relancé la lutte contre le projet confié au groupe de BTP Vinci et qui doit voir le jour en 2017. Au point que le gouvernement a demandé des études complémentaires sur le projet et retiré les gendarmes en avril.
«Un autre modèle de société»
«La symbolique de ce lieu, c’est la résistance», confie à l’AFP le jazzman Bernard Lubat, un ancien musicien de Claude Nougaro qui s’est produit samedi. L’état d’esprit qui règne à Notre-Dame-des-Landes, «je l’ai connu au Larzac», se souvient le musicien, qui fait le lien avec le jazz, «musique de révolte de gens qui se sont libérés de l’esclavage».
Le rassemblement se vit comme une société à part, où l’argent ne règne pas. «Ca fait du bien de se retrouver avec des gens qui ont les mêmes envies, les mêmes idées, les mêmes visions de la société», confie Nicolas Dhervaux, 33 ans, venu du Morbihan voisin avec sa copine Marie-Cécile, assistante d’éducation comme lui dans un lycée professionnel.
L’accès au festival est gratuit, mais les spectateurs sont fortement incités à participer aux frais à leur arrivée. «Les gens donnent en moyenne entre cinq et 20 euros», témoigne Myriam, caissière installée dans une caravane à l’entrée. «Ca va parfois jusqu’à 50 euros, les gens sont très généreux», dit-elle.
Ayrault dans le collimateur
Le Premier ministre Jean-Marc Ayrault, ancien maire de Nantes et fervent partisan du projet d’aéroport, est dans le collimateur. «Il ferait mieux de reconnaître qu’il a perdu sur ce coup-là», tranche Marie-Thérèse, une retraitée originaire du proche village de Bouvron, qui porte un autocollant avec la mention «Non à l’aéroport et à son monde».
«On est venus défendre nos copains paysans. Mais la question de fond, c’est qu’on réclame un autre modèle de société», explique cette ancienne agricultrice, qui dit avoir milité pour la première fois contre le projet d’aéroport «il y a 43 ans».
Mais personne ne se risque à se prononcer sur les intentions du gouvernement. «Mystère», résume Marie-Thérèse.
http://www.20minutes.fr/planete/1206623-20130804-notre-dame-des-landes-opposants-occupent-ciel
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And a slightly longer version in Liberation at http://www.liberation.fr/societe/2013/08/04/notre-dame-des-landes-les-opposants-occupent-le-ciel_922684
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Notre-Dame-des-Landes: opponents occupy the sky
Opponents of the proposed airport in western France have chosen to release a thousand kites in the sky of Notre-Dame-des-Landes this morning .
- Fabienne Beranger
- Posted on 04/08/2013 (Pays de la Loire)
This gesture is listed as one of the highlights of the now traditional summer gathering organized by the anti-airport. A way for them to occupy the sky to make the government of this airport project, “Thousand Kites, to assert that the sky at Notre Dame will remain free!” announces ACIPA.
See the video
The kites were made throughout the week by volunteers. “For our freedom occupy the sky”, “Free sky to free men” are some of the messages that can be read on these kites. The summer anti-airport gathering today continues on Sunday with debates and concerts. Tryo Lo’Jo or Sanseverino share including the scene today. 5,000 people attended the event on the site yesterday.
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Some earlier news about the Nantes airport campaign:
Nearly 40,000 people form a 25km human chain surrounding site of proposed new Nantes airport
May 12, 2013 
A huge number of protesters from across France organised themselves into a human chain in the early afternoon on Saturday. There are likely to have been almost 40,000 though the authorities give a lower attendance figure. The human chain surrounded the site of the proposed new Nantes airport, at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, with its two planned runways and new passenger terminal. The airport has been intended as a replacement for the current Nantes airport. Large numbers of people had come long distances to be there, many travelling overnight by bus, and then shared their picnics in a good natured event with a festive, but determined, spirit. The opponents of the new airport say that it is not needed, the economic arguments don’t stack up, it will increase carbon emissions, and will destroy valuable farmland and biodiversity. At the moment, the project is considerably delayed, but it is still going ahead. Its opponents want it stopped, and they show no sign of reducing their intense opposition. Click here to view full story… with many more photos …
Dialogue Commission on Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport reports: project delayed but confirmed
April 10, 2013 The dialogue commission looking into the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport project at Nantes has produced its report. There were also two reports on the impact on water and wetland and impact on local agriculture. The commission has said that substantial adjustments are needed to the original draft of new airport designed to replace the existing Nantes Atlantique airport. This means there is an indefinite postponement. It had been planned to open in 2017. The dialogue commission has had to decide on the usefulness of the project , and also on changes and improvements needed to the project, to which is strongly opposed locally – and also by many across France. There now needs to be a new assessment of redevelopment costs of the existing Nantes Atlantique airport, and whether it could be adapted to take larger planes. Also the impact of a new airport on other airports nearby. The commission has questionned the way in which wetland would be dealt with, and the impact of loss of farms and farmland. Opponents now believe their concerns and opposition has been vindicated, but they will continue to occupy the land and fight the plans. Click here to view full story…
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