'Ecureuils' Who Occupied Trees Along The A69 Highway Dislodged By Police And Firefighters, Toulouse, France - 16 Oct 2023

Gendarmes Mobiles stand guard to 'protect' the cutting of 'centenarian' trees for the A69 highway. As the public works to build the decried A69 highway between Toulouse and Castres continue, arborists-climbers occupied trees in three places: La Bourelie, La Prade and Bernazobre. Under heavy police protection, arborist climbers of 'La Bourelie' have been dislodged by police herlped by firefighters. Trees were cut immediatly after the arrest of the arborists-climbers. They wanted to protect the last trees the public works group NGE/Atosca hasn't already destroyed. Journalists aren't allowed to approach at less than 200m Environmentalists occupied three places (La Bourellie, La Prade and Bernazobre) where trees are cut by NGE/ATOSCA even if all justice procedures are not cleared. 'La Voie est Libre' (ie 'The Way is Free'), opponents and Thomas Brail want the building of the highway to be stopped until all the justice decisions on the content to be given. All expropiations for farmers aren't cleared. Opponents at this project say that the reprofiling of the N126 will be suffisant for the 6,000 vehicles planned per day and would cost far less money. The A69 highway will cost EUR512 millions (in 2018 euros without the inflation) for 54 kilometers. More than 100 protected species and 400ha of agricultural fields will be destroyed. Tarn. France. October 16th 2023.