We are witnessing these last weeks a stream of media statements about the zad in Notre-Dame-des-Landes, France, and its future – airport or not, evictions or not, new Larzac or not, blah blah. Suffice to say that we do not necessarily find ourselves in these statements, or not at all, or our ideas are on the contrary. Some feedback lead us to believe that it is not always very clear, for the members of the local committees, the supports and the sympathizers, especially those who are far away, geographically, from the zone. This letter is addressed to you, because we want to explain what we understand about the situation, and also to carry a different voice than those most heard in the media. [Read More]
France: Common press release from the anti-airport movement following the government’s announcement
Common press release from the anti-airport movement following the government’s announcement
At lunchtime today, the government finally announced that the airport project located in Notre-Dame-des-Landes has been abandoned.
We do note that the “DUP” will not be extended. The project will definitely be null and void by February the 8th.
This is an historical victory against a destructive project. This was made possible thanks to a long mobilisation that has been both diverse and determined.
First of all, we’d like to sincerely thank everyone that mobilised against this airport project over the past 50 years. [Read More]
Notre-Dame-des-Landes (France): Week of actions against speciesism
From 30 October to 5 November is called for week of actions against speciesism.
In memory of Barry Horne and of all human and non-human animals victim of specism and domination. [Read More]
Solidarity statement from Rosa de Foc Squat in Athens, Greece, to anti-airport struggle ZAD in France
As an international housing squat we think solidarity is our weapon, and as we all know weapons have categories, from handguns to nuclear bombs. Revolutionary solidarity doesn’t have boundaries and can only benefit the struggle. We are already starting to try our theories in practice about this.
International solidarity means bringing and taking ideas from one place to another, placing priorities and supporting the place that needs our help the most. Help is not only texts, supplies and solidarity demonstrations in our territory, but also our physical presence there. Working with the people, learning their language and their culture. Basic ingredients if we want to be effective and helpful, because every battle ground is different. [Read More]
Calais (France): Total jungle eviction may begin on 17 October
The French State has been spreading word that it will evict the whole of the Calais Jungle, meaning the homes of 10,000 people, by “the end of October”. The latest rumour is that the attack will begin on 17 October and will feature a new weapon: blinding laser cannons developed for use against Somali pirates, now to be used for the first time against Africans and other migrants on European soil.**
Other talk is that the eviction will take just “three days”, and that not only the self-built jungle but also the official Jules Ferry day centre and maybe even the state-built Container Camp will go. Comrades from the ZAD (occupied zone of resistance to the airport project in Notre Dame des Landes) also believe that their own planned eviction may be delayed so that the state can first throw all its forces at Calais.
[Read More]
Notre-Dame-des-Landes (France): Defend the ZAD – a call for international solidarity
–> October 8th-9th, 2016
For over 50 years, farmers and locals have resisted the building of a new airport for the French city of Nantes (which by the way already has one). Now in these rich fields, forests and wetlands, which multinational Vinci want to cover in concrete, an experiment in reinventing everyday life in struggle is blossoming. Radicals from around the world, local farmers and villagers, citizen groups, trade unionists and naturalists, refugees and runaways, squatters and climate justice activists and many others, are organising to protect the 4000 acres of land against the airport and its world. Government officials have coined this place “a territory lost to the republic”. Its occupants have named it: la ZAD (Zone À Défendre), zone to defend. [Read More]
Calais (France): New Occupation
For years, the government and the prefecture of Calais have been destroying living places. For years, people in Calais have been assaulted by police and fascists and have had their belongings destroyed . For years, people are forced to live in fear and insecurity because they are foreigners. [Read More]
Notre-Dame-Des-Landes (France): Communique on the meeting with the Calais hunger strikes
This Wednesday 23rd March, four 2012 hunger strikers from Nantes, accompanied by four activists, met with the Calais hunger strikers. Here is their testimony:
“We are here in support, in sympathy, in bringing our experiences, but certainly not to bring advise.
Compared to theirs, our experiences were very light: they have been on hunger strike since March 2nd, isolated in the southern part of the jungle that was destroyed, with a background noise of bulldozers flattening rubble, and the polce that surround them. [Read More]
Notre-Dame-Des-Landes to Calais: Call-out for decentralised actions against the Socialist Party
The weekend of 26th to 27th March, a call-out for decentralised actions against the Socialist Party was launched by the anti-airport movement.
Come to Calais, it’s possible to link these struggles. It’s why we invite you to reach Calais from Friday 25th March. There is no housing infrastructure, come with your own plan for sleeping, duvets, tents, supplies, etc… Be as autonomous as possible. There are some not too expensive restaurants in the jungle, put in place by refugees. Camp water isn’t drinkable. Bring what you need. It’s possible to reach the town centre by bus. If needed, an on-site telephone number : 07.51.02.17.33 and the legal number 07.51.55.72.54. [Read More]
Nantes, France: Resistance demo against the states of emergency in solidarity with Notre-Dame-Des-Landes
No injuries, nor arrests, instead numerous facades revisited
Nearly 400 people marched in Nantes in the context of the week of resistance. The lead banner, decorated with the cartoon bird “the king and the mocking bird”, called for resistance against the states of emergency, whilst referencing Kobane to Kurdistan, Ferguson to the United States, and Notre-Dame-des-Landes in France.
300 police offices were supposed to prevent access to certain areas but they couldn’t prevent the redesigning of facades of some public buildings, banks, estate agencies and the Socialist Party office located on the path of the demonstration.
Demonstrators dressed in black, masked, and some with gas masks – with fire-extinguishers, paint and egg bombs – were able to indulge in paint and political graffiti on the walls of the city. [Read More]
France: Recent actions against Vinci and the state in solidarity with the ZAD
This article [from Rabble] is about developments in the ZAD (‘Zone to Defend’), the site in Western France of a 9+ year occupation against the construction of the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport by French construction giant, Vinci.
Things have been heating up in France following the decision by a Nantes court to press ahead with the eviction of the last remaining official residents on site, who refused to sell their land. The court ruled that, of the residents, the farms and three families could be evicted straight away, but gave a two month delay to the eight other families. With this legal hurdle out of the way, it looks likely that attempts will be made to evict the occupations in the coming weeks.
Attempts to build an airport have been ongoing since the 60s, with resistance taking various forms since 1972. The site has been squatted for the past nine years. Occupiers are calling on people to get ready to act on the first sign of eviction. [Read More]
France/Finland: Direct actions from Rennes to Helsinki in solidarity with the ZAD
This Friday, January 22nd, at dawn, people decided to blockade the road passing through the middle of the construction site for the new Eurorennes train station and in front of the women’s prisons’ main entrance.
Bins were overturned, oil spilled and the following text plastered on the jail walls and site fences:
This morning, we’re blocking this road with help from some bins tipped over and spilled oil…
Because “the city of tomorrow”, wedged between the business district’s megalomaniac construction site that is Euro-Rennes, its future LGV high-speed rail and Europe’s largest women’s prison, represents itself exactly as dreamt up in the offices of Rennes Métropole’s project. [Read More]
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