The organizers had called for the “general mobilization” this Saturday …
The organizers had called for the “general mobilization” this Saturday against the airport project at Notre-Dame-des-Landes. The message seems to have been heard. Several thousand people gathered from mid-morning near the Zad of Notre-Dame-des-Landes calling for an “abandoning of the project” and “stopping deportations” of the fifteen families and farmers living on future airport area.
The Nantes-Vannes and Nantes-Rennes roads blocked
Two processions consisting of bikes, tractors and pedestrians, equipped with coloured placards were present on the roads. They started from 10:30am this morning blocking the two highways Nantes-Vannes and Nantes-Rennes, the latter to be cleared by midday.
#nddl c’est parti pic.twitter.com/aORbqkY2EQ
— Daniel MARCHAND (@MarchandDan) February 27, 2016
Le cortège ouest #NDDL est sur le point de démarrer, la foule est impressionnante @ACIPA_NDL pic.twitter.com/lxFnEKB9QQ
— Alexis Braud (@AlexisBraud) February 27, 2016
#nddl#27fev le lieu d’arrivée s’installe
Déjà beaucoup de monde aux 4 nations pic.twitter.com/8l6UHARq96— ACIPA (@ACIPA_NDL) February 27, 2016
Many demonstrators are also trying to reach the site by car, while fifty cars have brought activists from all over France to support the anti-airport supporters at Notre-Dame-des-Landes. Unsurprisingly, major traffic problems are already recorded in the area.
A monsieur @manuelvalls au vu des embouteillages à 8 km du lieu de rdv #NDDL les 100 000 seront là.
On gagne quoi?— debost elen (@debostelen) February 27, 2016
The security forces keep their distance. A helicopter flies over, with the gendarmerie still in the area.
A big rally is planned at around 1pm on the interchange of Nantes-Vannes at Temple-de-Bretagne . At the event, besides the protestors speaking out, there will be picnics, concerts and animations (frescoes, building a watchtower …) which is scheduled to end at 6pm, the official time of the end of event. Several politicians, including environmentalists, have announced their coming.
“Ability to protect Zad”
For this mobilization, coordination of opponents means “express anger” and show its “ability to protect and surround the Zad in cases of attempted eviction or starting work.”
The government has suggested that no construction would begin before October. With the announcement of the organization of a local referendum on the airport project in the summer to determine whether the proposed airport will go ahead or not.
On 9th January between 8,000 and 20,000 people had already gathered against the airport on the Nantes ring road. Part of the demonstrators refused to leave late in the day and had to be dislodged by the police after clashes .
