This October 27, 2021, three “anti-basins” activists, including Julien Le Guet, spokesperson for the movement, were taken into custody following the events that occurred during a demonstration on September 22. Organizations opposed to water reservoirs in Deux-Sèvres denounce intimidation.
The “water war” continues. The “basins”, these artificial water reservoirs supposed to allow farmers to irrigate their fields in Deux-Sèvres, Vienne and Charente-Maritime have crystallized tensions for several years. Between opponents denouncing the ecological consequences of the project and farmers, the dialogue is broken. So much so that on September 22, 2021, during a demonstration by opponents of the construction of the 16 basins, validated by the courts, some clashes broke out with the police.
Julien Le Guet in police custody and released during the day
The Niort public prosecutor’s office looks into this day of demonstration of September 22, 2021. As Julien Wattebled, public prosecutor of Niort told us, three cases are open in this case for: aggravated degradation, aggravated violence on the forces of order and public and direct provocation.
First consequence this October 27, 2021, where 3 people were taken into custody including Julien Le Guet, spokesperson for the collective “Bassines Non Merci!” and figure of the anti-basin movement. Their home was also searched. The latter was arrested and heard in the morning for “public and direct provocation not followed by effect to commit an offense“in relation to comments made publicly during the demonstration on September 22.
After 6 hours in police custody, Julien Le Guet was able to get out of the Coulonges-sur-l’Autize gendarmerie. When he left, he reportedly told The New Republic that he was criticized in particular for having declared: “One basin built, three destroyed.“The public prosecutor of Niort, Julien Wattebled, details:”The goal was for him to explain himself. Investigations are continuing.“
For us, this is clearly intimidation.
The other two individuals arrested are – at the time of this writing – still in custody. He is a member of the Confédération Paysanne, an organization positioned against the project, and Thomas, a sympathizer of the “Bassines Non Merci!” Collective. They are both “in custody for aggravated damage, committed on September 22“, as revealed to France 3, the prosecutor of Niort, Julien Wattebled.
Interviewed, Thierry Baudry, member of the collective “Bassine Non Merci!” denounced what he considers to be pressure against the movement. “It is clear that it is an intimidation, especially concerning Julien Le Guet because it was for comments made “, he exclaims. Quite annoyed by the questioning of its spokesperson, the collective “Bassine Non Merci!” had called for a rally in front of the Coulonges-sur-l’Autize gendarmerie, before changing his mind at the announcement of the end of custody of Julien Le Guet.
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In the afternoon of October 27, 2021, several political reactions in support of the three people arrested were communicated. The MEP Les Verts / ALE, Benoît Biteau said to himself “scandalized by the custody of Julien Le Guet and two other activists of “Bassines Non Merci” today “ and added: “We cannot accept that the state uses police means to intimidate citizens who oppose basins, which, I remind you, are illegal. ”
In a press release, the spokesperson for Europe Écologie-Les Verts Poitou-Charentes, for his part, declared: “The conflict over water resources in our territory must find a political solution; neither violence nor repression will provide a constructive and acceptable response. ” A position shared by the Confédération Paysanne, which judges police custody “inadequate given the slight degradation observed” and point, in turn, intimidations.
A new mobilization on November 6
For his part, Thierry Baudry also points to the conditions under which the search of Thomas, sympathizer of the collective, would have taken place. “They did not go to his house but to his in-laws and seized work computers that did not belong to him.“, advances the activist without our being able to verify it.
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Niort’s public prosecutor, Julien Wattebled, declined to comment on these various accusations. He nevertheless wished to recall that, on September 22, 2021, three gendarmes were injured and a construction machine was damaged. “The role of justice, when it has knowledge of offenses, is to identify the perpetrators, he recalls. This is what we will continue to do. “
Not necessarily surprised by the arrests, the collective “Bassine Non Merci!” had approached lawyers in anticipation of prosecution. He is now preparing a response. “It does not discourage us“, assures Thierry Baudry, while specifying that a meeting was to be held on the evening of October 27, 2021. Determined, the anti-basin activists have already made an appointment on November 6, 2021 in Mauzé-sur -le-Mignon for a new mobilization against the project More than ever, the subject is fueling tensions.
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