Climate activists stand guard at the Ballens gravel pit

It only takes a few minutes for the forest to transform into a veritable anthill: Saturday morning, shortly after 8 a.m., around fifty climate activists set up a makeshift camp in the heart of the Sépey woods, south of the village of Ballens. When they arrive, a few people are already busy hoisting pallets into the trees, where “the squirrels” will perch, as those who stay on the cow floor call them. “The first arrived yesterday evening,” explains one of the members of the collective. They all testify anonymously and hide their faces when the photos are taken.