The battle of the A69 is not over. The day after the Tarn prefecture issued a press release announcing that “the concessionaire has recovered full ownership of its land in the commune of Saïx” and that “Deforestation operations in the Tarn department are completely completed”, This is the message that opponents of the 53-kilometre motorway project between Toulouse and Castres wanted to convey.
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“We are committed to going all the way, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, we will not give in”, said a ZAD activist, face covered, presenting himself under the pseudonym of Camille, during a press conference on Saturday, September 7 in Toulouse. While sixty to seventy trees have been cut down on the territory of the commune of Saïx since September 1is september, “The battle of the trees is not over, even if it is a tipping point in our struggle”the activist judged, reporting a “unwavering determination”. “The feelings that predominate are rage and anger. We will transform them into actions to continue to resist.”he said, calling for a rally on Sunday, September 8, on a private field, lent “to think about what comes next”.
On Friday morning, the police intervened to dislodge the last four occupants perched in the trees of the Cal’arbre site, named after the zone to defend (ZAD), located at the place called La Calarié, in Saïx. “This was a surprise intervention while the “squirrels” were sleeping without harnesses”says another opponent of the A69, wearing a black scarf over his face. “By escaping the Cnamo gendarmes [cellule nationale d’aide à la mobilité], Two of them fell from a height of 7 meters. Our comrades were hospitalized. They were then placed in police custody before being released last night in the middle of the countryside. An opponent of the project is still in the branches of an oak tree at Cal’arbre.
Dozens of kilometers from Saïx, in Verfeil, a commune in Haute-Garonne, there remains one last blockage on the route of the future highway. Since March 27, 2023, “the orchard” has been occupied by opponents who have set up tents and huts in the garden to hinder the cutting down of around thirty trees. This 8,000 square meter area, which was the target of a fire on the night of August 31 to 1is September around 4 a.m., has been hosting a tenant since 2013, as well as her young son. The latter, despite three offers of housing and financial compensation of 20,000 euros offered by the motorway concessionaire, Atosca, owner of the premises since March 2023, still occupies the house.
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