Click image to zoom

Michel Forst, United Nations Special Rapporteur On The Situation Of Human Rights Defenders, Came To The 'Crem'Arbre' ZAD Against The A69

A young woman is drawing a scene near the 'Crem'Arbre' ZAD, where people are being blocked by the Gendarmerie Mobile. Michel Forst, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, is visiting the 'Crem'Arbre' ZAD to see for himself if there are allegations of excessive police violence, deprivation of food and water, etc. During his visit, the riot police are not allowing any media to follow him into the ZAD. Even the two MPs, Karen Erodi and Anne Stambach-Terrenoir, are not allowed. In Saix, Tarn, France, on February 22, 2024, opponents have installed a ZAD on the planned A69 highway between Toulouse and Castres, dubbed 'Crem'Arbre', and 'Ecureuils' ('squirrels') are living in the trees to prevent them from being cut down. The Gendarmerie Mobile is intervening to clear the ZAD of all opponents and is now standing guard near the trees occupied by 'Ecureuils' to block the supply of food and water by sympathizers. They have cleared the nearby area of all opponents, and a special unit of policemen, CNAMO, is intervening to dislodge the 'Ecureuils' from their trees. After two days of police efforts, they have dislodged only one 'Ecureuil'. However, new trees are being occupied by 'Ecureuils' in a new place called 'Cal'Arbre'. The main collective 'La Voie est Libre' wants the highway to be stopped until all the justice decisions on the content are given. All expropriations for farmers aren't cleared. Opponents of this project say that the reprofiling of the N126 would be sufficient for the 6,000 vehicles planned per day and would cost far less money. The A69 highway will cost EUR512 million (in 2018 euros without inflation) for 54 kilometers. More than 100 protected species and 400ha of agricultural fields will be destroyed. (Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#11018173
Date Taken	22 February 2024
Location	N/A
Photographer	Alain Pitton/NurPhoto
Category	Environmental Issue
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Alain Pitton/NurPhoto

ecology highway protest la voie est libre lvel environment nature law btp collective national road n126 A69 public works politics opposition opponent objector protester climate nge climate change global warming castres concrete toulouse france nature destruction concreting atosca activist arborist climber trees zad crem'arbre public money waste occitanie tarn gendarmerie mobile public interest gathering activistes nature pacifism occupation tree forest woods oaks oak cutting clear cutting toulouse semalens saix crem'arbre autoroute A69 ldh cnamo human rights league ligue des droits de l'homme cal'arbre United Nations UN Michel Forst United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human righ law human rights