Thousands of people are expected on October 11, 12 and 13 in the small village of Lerm-et-Musset in South Gironde. Opponents of the future LGV line in the southwest are organizing an “Emergency Braking” demonstration organized by the LGV Non merci coordination and the Earth Uprisings. The police are already massively present in the sector.
Company
From daily life to major issues, discover the subjects that make up local society, such as justice, education, health and family.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the “Society” newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our privacy policy
The anti LGV camp is starting to fill up little by little this Friday. “For the moment, everything is going well. The camp has been open since 4 p.m. to the public and activists. There are mainly residents of the area who have come forward to volunteer this weekend”says one of the spokespersons for the LGV coordination No thank you.
At the end of Friday afternoon, the atmosphere is calm and serene. In the morning again, the organizers reiterated their message of “non-violence”this mobilization is intended “playful and vindictive” against an LGV project which will destroy and artificialize 4,800 hectares in the South-West.
The owner who lent the land is an elected official from the municipality, he prefers to remain anonymous, but he explains his motivation. “It seems obvious to me. We have an LGV which will massacre the territory for eternal life, and there is a group of opponents of this LGV who propose to occupy this land for three days. The choice is quickly made. nuisances are not the same.
So far, they haven’t made any noise and haven’t bothered me. Nothing. And thanks to the police, I feel safer.
The owner of the land occupied by the demonstrators
The area hosting the “Emergency braking of LGVs in the South-West” demonstration is gradually filling up this Friday afternoon, October 11, 2024. Some opponents will camp on site. • © Jean Poustis / France 3 Aquitaine
The choice of Lerm-et Musset is not trivial since this small town of 500 inhabitants will be very impacted by the route of the LGV project between Bordeaux and Toulouse. “For more than 20 years, several groups of residents have been mobilizing hereconfirms Martin, from the association Les Soulèves de la Terre. This project will destroy their territory and not serve them or help them in their daily lives.”
“Here, we are a few kilometers from the commune of Bernos-Beaulac which will be shattered by this LGV project while two lines coming from northern Gironde. One which will leave towards Dax and the other towards Toulouse. The commune will be destroyed and the natural habitats too”, dlaments Stéphanie of the Stop LGV Bordeaux Métropole association for everyday transport.
For anti-LGV activists, the period is crucial: the two public surveys were carried out in the metropolises of Bordeaux and Toulouse. The environmental inquiry commission also gave the green light to carry out the developments. “It is now that we must mobilize to continue to support this “No” to the LGV”, insist the demonstrators.
Two opponents of LGV in the South-West denounce a project destructive to homes and biodiversity in southern Gironde. • © France 3 Aquitaine
Even if the atmosphere on October 11 remains calm, some residents express their concern in the village. The demonstration was not declared at the town hall of Lerm-et-Musset which was visibly “kept away”. The city team only found out about it Thursday afternoon and has no idea how many people will be there this weekend.
“You should know that our municipality is against the LGV, but we defend ourselves with our own administrative and legal means”explains Stéphane Escuny, deputy mayor to the France 3 Aquitaine team on site, a little worried about “all this commotion”.
The deputy mayor of Lerm-et-Musset explains that he discovered that the anti-LGV demonstration would take place in the town at the last moment. • © France 3 Aquitaine
“The demonstration takes place on private land with the agreement of the owner. The location was kept secret until the last moment without our knowledge. We are working with the gendarmerie and the prefecture, and we hope that everything goes well GOOD “continues the elected official.
We hope for a calm and good-humoured demonstration. There is no point in breaking things up and causing violence.
Stéphane Escuny,
deputy mayor of Lerm-et-Musset (Gironde)
The village grocer was also surprised to see the police arrive yesterday morning. “It is the opening of the woodpigeon hunt. When we opened the store yesterday, we saw bikers and motocrossers and lots of police cars arriving. We only knew around 11 a.m. that a big demonstration was being prepared.”says Vanessa Brand, the grocery store manager. “Against the LGV, that suits me, because it’s not nice to expropriate people and have our homes end up next to the noise.
In a very small village like ours, having so many police officers and people arriving is a little stressful!
Vanessa Brand,
manager of the Lerm-et-Musset grocery store (Gironde)
Just like her, another resident, interviewed by France 3 Aquitaine, was surprised by such a surge of gendarmes.“A helicopter circled all night and part of the day above my propertyhe reports. I feel a little worried, because they announce a certain number of not very nice people in the territory, let’s say. “.
This resident of around sixty years old encountered in the grocery store finds the “rather friendly activists for the moment” and is especially worried about the next few years “and what is going to happen with the LGV”. On the other hand, we do not want other, more violent activists to arrive. We are a small village and we want to remain peaceful.” he insists.
The grocery store in Lerm-et-Musset (Gironde). Its manager saw the police arrive in numbers in the town on Thursday October 10, to her great surprise. • © Jean Poustis / France 3 Aquitaine
While the first activists arrive on site, the police are already carrying out checks without prohibiting access to the site. The prefect of Gironde Etienne Guyot also issued an order on October 10 to ban the demonstration in several municipalities in Gironde, including Bordeaux and its suburbs, for fear of excesses.
At this time, around a hundred people are present on site. The prefect did not want to communicate the exact number of police officers and gendarmes present. “It is a system that is proportionate to deal with risks and threats”he simply declared during a press briefing Friday afternoon. Objects were confiscated during preventive checks such as crossbows, pétanque balls and a pellet rifle during vehicle checks.
Our team of journalists also observed around ten activists wearing balaclavas on site.to remain anonymous” compared to the overflights of helicopters and drones of the security forces which monitor the event, they explained.
Preventive checks are carried out in the vicinity of the demonstration. “It is a police system which is proportionate to deal with risks and threats” declared the prefect of Gironde Étienne Guyot. • © France 3 Aquitaine
It is on social networks that the prefect claims to have discovered the call to demonstrate, without there being a declaration of demonstration in the prefecture as provided for by law. Étienne Guyot also recalled the legality of the GPSO project, this major high-speed rail project in the South-West between Bordeaux and Toulouse, but also between Bordeaux and Dax, then towards Spain.
“The French Parliament has spoken out. It is a recognized project of European interest and financed equally between the state (40%) and 24 local authorities who voted for its financing (40%), and Europe to up to 20%. This project has been confirmed several times and it is important to say it. he insisted.
