On the initiative of several associations, unions and collectives, the Pentecost weekend is synonymous with the fight against bypassing the RN88. The militant actions began this Saturday, May 22 with a demonstration in Puy-en-Velay, then playful workshops around nature.
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In Haute-Loire, several associations, unions and collectives oppose the project to bypass the RN88. This Pentecost weekend are organized events and fun workshops around nature. On the program, torchlight march, camp on the route of the bypass, musical entertainment, creation of a vegetable garden but also various forums and discussions around the bypass project. This Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m., a demonstration was organized in Puy-en-Velay: “It was a carnival event. It was very beautiful and festive. I think there were over 500 people. Then, we go up to the site of the route for 3 days of events with creation of vegetable garden, naturalist walk, torchlight walk, reconstruction of dry stone walls, lots of things like that ”, says Margot Champin, member of the Lutte des Sucs collective.
On the initiative of this militant weekend, the collective Lutte des Sucs but also France Nature Environnement, Les Uprisings of the Earth but also Extinction Rébellion and the Confédération Paysanne. “There are also a lot of citizens who came because they want to say no to this project”, says Margot Champin.
According to her, the police forces deployed would be “Impressive” and delay the planned workshops at the Saint-Hostien site: “These are lands that belong to the State, because it bought them back for the project”, specifies Margot Champin. This weekend is an opportunity to get people talking about the project again and to recall the demands: “We are opposed to the artificialization of the road which is not useful. We do not question the fact that a solution must be found for the inhabitants of Saint-Hostien, but we believe that more modest solutions must be found, such as small deviations. There, we are on the largest motorway project in France, with 13 structures for only 10.7 km of road to save only 2 or 3 minutes ”.
Affected agricultural land
For Margot Champin, this problem could be resolved via alternative means of transport: “In Haute-Loire, we have very little public transport. We are unfortunately chained to our car because there are almost no buses, there are very few train lines… The budget of the region should not go to road construction which is a state competence , while this money should be used for soft mobility ”. Another issue denounced is the purchase of agricultural land, with land pressure: “We bought land from the owners without informing the farmers. It’s been 6 months since it happens. There is a lack of land for the project and pressure is being put on the owners to sell amicably. Normally, the notary must inform the farmer in the event of a sale because he has priority over the purchase. There, the farmers found themselves faced with a fait accompli ”, explains Claude Verots, professional in the agricultural world. The project concerns 29 farms, including ten directly on the route.
