Indre Nature premises targeted by farmers

Wednesday November 27, the premises of Indre nature, avenue Marcel-Lemoine in Châteauroux, show no signs of damage. “Appearances are deceivingsays Jacques Lucbert, president of the association. If there is nothing left, it is because the city services came very early this morning to clean up. »

The day before, shortly before 6 p.m., the protesting farmers converged on the offices of the environmental protection association.

“They have the wrong enemies: we don’t make the laws, we don’t define the standards”

On the spot, they dumped “straw and a pile of stones” on the porch and at the edges of the windows. “Our association was attacked, and our premises damaged”deplores Jacques Lucbert. A “scandalous and appalling attack”according to the association, which was experienced as “a threat and an attempt at intimidation” by the six employees present on the premises.

“They have the wrong enemiesfor his part underlined the president of the structure. We don't make laws, we don't define standards. We defend the general interest for a livable world tomorrow. » Considering that this action serves the agricultural cause, the association says “determined to file a complaint”and waits for a “condemnation by political leaders”. With several police officers present on site, “who did not intervene”Indre nature is also said “shocked by the inaction of the police”and worries about “feeling of impunity that this can generate”.

The prefect responds

“As soon as I became aware of the demonstrators' desire to come to the headquarters of your association, you were alerted by my chief of staff and I immediately positioned the policereplied the prefect Thibault Lanxade, by mail, to the president of Indre nature. During the demonstration, the chief of staff remained in almost permanent contact with people at Indre Nature headquarters to assure them of the presence of the police. The instruction I gave was to let the event take place with the dumping of various waste on the public highway and to ensure that there was no intrusion into your premises or any damage to the premises. It appears that this was respected. »

“We wanted to reproduce what they put farmers through on the ground”

“If the gates of the administrative city had been open, we would have gone to vent our anger in front of the doors of the French Biodiversity Office”indicates for her part Mélanie Soulas-Barrault, departmental president of the JA.

Jérôme Tellier, president of the FDSEA, believes that it was a “warning, no threats”. “We wanted to reproduce what they put farmers through on the ground. By constantly being against the agricultural world, we wanted to show them that we too can put pressure on them. » He recalls that there was no “no degradation, no harm to people, we are not thugs”and the action took place “on public roads, and in the presence of law enforcement”.

Wednesday, November 27, the Peasant Confederation of Indre reacted in a press release. “Let’s not get into the wrong fight”asked the union, which said “for the maintenance of protective standards, in return for real support to deal with climate change”. “Attacking nature protection associations or the OFB will bring nothing more to Indre farmers. »