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On Saturday, French police clashed with radical environmental activists who were protesting against the construction of water reservoirs for farmers in western France.
NEW – Dozens injured after a violent battle between radical eco-activists and police in Sainte-Soline, western France.pic.twitter.com/PNJgHVqsz4
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 25, 2023
The NGOs behind the protest stated that over 25,000 demonstrators had gathered in the rural town of Sainte-Soline, located in the Deux-Sèvres department, to demand that the government halt the building of the reservoirs.
The water storage facilities are intended to be used for irrigation during the summer months to assist farmers who are increasingly facing droughts resulting from climate change.
Currently, one water reservoir is being built, and plans are in place to construct an additional 15 in the region. In an effort to prevent protesters from entering the construction site, around 3,000 police and 10 helicopters were present at the demonstration.
According to activists, water is a shared resource, and farmers are taking it away, and they believe farmers should be working to move away from water-intensive and unsustainable agricultural practices. In the last five years, tensions between the two groups have been increasing, and in October last year, violent clashes broke out between them.
Marine Tondelier, the leader of France’s Green Party, joined the protest on Saturday and stated that the construction of reservoirs was unjust because it involved a few individuals privatizing and taking control of the water resource to the detriment of the majority.
As tensions mounted, clashes broke out between protesters and the police in the early afternoon on Saturday. The police used tear gas to prevent the demonstrators from accessing the reservoir, while the protesters retaliated by throwing fireworks and other projectiles. According to France3, the confrontation resulted in several injuries, two burned police cars and property damage.
Following the violent incident, France’s Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, took to Twitter to express his displeasure, stating that it was unacceptable and intolerable for far-left radical activists to be violent towards police officers. He also noted that 24 policemen and seven demonstrators were injured in the clashes.
Saturday’s demonstration took place without authorization from local authorities, despite France experiencing one of its worst winter droughts in recent years. Emmanuelle Dubée, the prefect of the Deux-Sèvres department, warned that “several hundred radical individuals are preparing violent actions” and advised peaceful demonstrators to exercise caution.
Michael Price is a Founder and editor for ThinkCivics. He has been writing about politics, government, and culture for over a decade. He has a BA in Political Science and an Masters in Public Administration.
