"A woman holds an XR flag near riot policemen. Opponents of t..."

#12534668

6 July 2025

A woman holds an XR flag near riot policemen. Opponents of the planned A69 highway gather in the Tarn department in Maurens-Scopont for a weekend of protests called 'Turboteuf' in the domain of the Maurens-Scopont castle. After protesters try to break into the work site to reach a bridge, riot policemen and protesters scuffle. Riot police use volleys of tear gas canisters. The decision of the Cour d'Appel Administrative (Administrative Court of Appeal) of Toulouse greenlights the resumption of leveling works on the A69 highway. The Administrative Court of Toulouse decides on February 27 to suspend all works on the A69 project highway between Toulouse and Castres. NGE/Atosca files an appeal against this decision and asks the Court to let the works continue during the time the appeal is judged. Two senators and two MPs from the Tarn department put to vote a retroactive law to authorize the building of the A69. They say they want to bypass the decision of the Administrative Court of Toulouse. Atosca says all leveling works have begun and that more than 70% of highway structures are completed. However, the leveling works and highway structure are not close to the numbers given by Atosca. Moreover, several problems plague the work, such as water evacuation and protection of species. The main association 'La Voie est Libre' (i.e., 'The Way is Free'), opponents want the building of the highway to be stopped until all the justice 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 costs EUR512 million (in 2018 euros without inflation) for 54 kilometers. More than 100 protected species and 400 hectares of agricultural fields will be destroyed. This takes place in Maurens-Scopont, Tarn, France, on July 6, 2025.

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