In France, riots are not only taking place during protests against pension reform. In Sainte-Soline, the weekend took to the streets against the construction of water storage tanks. The police allegedly used grenades and rubber bullets against the demonstrators. Hundreds of people were injured.
The fire brigade could not get through, an ambulance reported on the scene. “Two environmental activists are in a coma and are still in mortal danger today,” the “Zeit” correspondent Annika Joeres wrote on Twitter. “Agrarheute” had previously reported more than 30 injuries, including five seriously injured. According to the report, both police and protesters were involved in the riots.
Thousands of people took to the streets last Saturday against the construction of new water reservoirs near the village of Saint-Soline in western France. The exact number is estimated at 6,000 (authorities) to 30,000 (organisers). These include an association of small farmers and environmental groups. The background to the construction plan is the extreme drought in France. In the future, 16 large water reservoirs will be filled in winter when the groundwater level is high and irrigate the fields in dry months. Farmers hope to save their harvests in periods of drought. More than 400 of them could benefit from the water reservoirs.
Exclusive use of water feared
However, opponents of the project object that it is privatizing a public good. The water could only be used by a few farms, the general public is excluded. The conflict had simmered for months and escalated over the weekend. Despite the official ban on public gatherings, two environmental groups and a small farmers’ association called for protests at a reservoir under construction near Saint-Soline. About 3,000 police officers were involved in the operation.
They were shot at with fireworks and Molotov cocktails, but according to eyewitnesses, they themselves acted brutally against activists. There is talk of tear gas grenades, water cannons or rubber bullets to push back demonstrators. Hundreds of people, including 24 security forces, were reportedly injured, two of them critically.
The French government’s human rights commissioner, Claire Hédon, said she was “deeply shocked by the recent scenes.” It’s the police’s job to de-escalate. Hundreds of people were recently injured in protests against pension reforms in France. Particularly during spontaneous protests, violence against both sides increases.
Source: Krone
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