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The Last ZAD (Zone To Defend), The 'Verger' On The Planned A69 Highway

A protester shows a tree frog, a protected species, found amid the cut trees in the 'Verger'. After months of negotiations and pressures from NGE/Atosca, and two incendiary attacks, Alexandra, the tenant of the 'Verger', decides to leave her house after concluding an arrangement with ATOSCA. Alexandra thanks every protester who stays there until her departure and calls them 'heroes'. Immediately, Atosca begins the destruction work of the house and the cutting of all the trees. Protesters try to resist the Gendarmerie in the house without success. 'Squirrels' live in the trees of the 'Verger' ZAD (Zone to Defend). The driver of the excavator is admonished by the Gendarmerie for his dangerous behavior with the excavator, putting human lives in danger. The main collective 'La Voie est Libre' (The Way is Free) wants the highway project to be stopped until all judicial decisions on the content are given. All expropriations for farmers are not cleared. Opponents of this project say that the reprofiling of the N126 will 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 53 kilometers. More than 100 protected species and 400 hectares of agricultural fields will be destroyed. Verfeil, France, on September 16, 2024. (Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#11580396
Date Taken	16 September 2024
Location	N/A
Photographer	Alain Pitton/NurPhoto
Category	Social Issue
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Alain Pitton/NurPhoto

ecology highway expulsion zad zadiste zone to defend zone to protect environment nature law btp collective national road n126 A69 public works politics opposition opponent objector r climate nge climate change global warming castres concrete toulouse france nature destruction concreting atosca activist arborist climber trees verger le verger public money waste occitanie tarn gendarmerie mobile public interest activistes nature pacifism occupation tree woods oaks oak cutting clear cutting toulouse verfeil autoroute A69 police tree feller logger destruction development protester zadist