the century-old cedars of the Thonon-les-Bains hospital felled, the Zarbists expelled after more than 150 days

The century-old cedars of the hospital in Thonon-les-Bains (Haute-Savoie) were cut down on Wednesday March 2. The police had evacuated the occupants, present in these trees for more than 150 days, in the early morning.

End of a long episode for the few occupants of the century-old cedars of the hospital in Thonon-les-Bains, in Haute-Savoie. This Wednesday, March 2, the police intervened to put an end to the occupation of the Zarbists and thus allow the felling of these ten trees, which adjoin the health establishment.

A hospital extension project, still in progress, involves the destruction of these trees. The work will make it possible to accommodate 180 additional beds.

This Wednesday, a dozen CRS trucks arrived on the scene in the early hours of the morning. They evacuated the few zarbistes, perched 15 meters high for more than 150 days, before prohibiting access and then carrying out the slaughter.

“In his decision of February 17, the administrative judge ordered the people present on the site and in the trees to leave the premises with their equipment, within 4 days. (…) Noting their presence on February 25 and in order to enforce this court decision, the prefect responded favorably to the request of the hospitals of Lake Geneva to grant the assistance of the police, with a view to evacuating the occupants without right”says a press release from the prefecture.

The document continues: “Today’s operation carried out by the police will thus allow the hospital center to start the extension of its premises in order to improve the hospital offer.” The extension of the hospital was to see the light of day in the summer of 2023.

I really hope that this will be one of the last times that something so outrageous happens, and that one day people will be shocked to see centuries-old trees for nothing.

A member of the “Save the cedars” collective.

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For their part, the occupants leave the premises with great regret and anger: “I really hope that this will be one of the last times that something so outrageous happens, and that one day people will be shocked to see centuries-old trees falling for nothing,” Explain one of the members of “Save the cedars” the collective that set up this camp in the trees.

He regrets the lack of dialogue with the Regional Health Agency (ARS) and the hospital management: “We’ve been trying to talk to them for six months: nothing.saddens the young activist. They turned a deaf ear.”

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