Editorial photo #11209019 Social Issue
XR'action Dubbed 'Hello Darkness' Against The Highway A69 Toulouse-Castres
An Extinction Rebellion activist is applying fake bitumen to another protester who is holding placards that read 'No more vegetables for our kids' in Toulouse, France, on May 4, 2024. The group, Extinction Rebellion - Toulouse, is staging an action called 'Hello Darkness' in front of the Capitole, the town hall of Toulouse, to protest against the controversial A69 highway between Toulouse and Castres. They are also protesting against the construction of several bitumen plants near schools and organic vegetable producers. Some activists are receiving fake bitumen on themselves to symbolize the pollution caused by asphalt production. Police have intervened and arrested five individuals. The main association 'La Voie est Libre' is demanding that construction of the highway be halted until all judicial decisions have been made. The expropriations for farmers have not been resolved. Opponents of the project argue that the reprofiling of the N126 would be sufficient for the anticipated 6,000 vehicles per day and would be much less expensive. The A69 highway is projected to cost EUR512 million (in 2018 euros, excluding inflation) for 54 kilometers, and its construction would result in the destruction of over 100 protected species and 400 hectares of agricultural land. (Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto)
