La Rochelle, France — Environmental protesters clashed with police in the French port city of La Rochelle on Saturday, as thousands rallied against the construction of large irrigation reservoirs.
The demonstrations, fueled by concerns over environmental impacts and the concentration of resources in the hands of large farmers, resulted in violent confrontations and significant property damage.
The protests saw two distinct marches through the city, with the larger demonstration of approximately 2,000 participants devolving into chaos by early afternoon.
The march, initially peaceful, was interrupted when police charged at the demonstrators, leading to running battles around barricades and burning rubbish bins.
Eyewitnesses reported that some protesters threw projectiles while police responded with tear gas grenades.
Lilia, a 25-year-old protester who participated in the demonstration, described the scene: “We were in the demo, and they started blocking ahead and behind.
They isolated us off to one side to charge everyone else.” The confrontation resulted in one policewoman suffering burns and five protesters receiving medical treatment for minor injuries.
According to a police source, around 400 of the demonstrators were identified as “black bloc” far-left radicals, who were involved in the more violent segment of the protest.
The chaos led to several shops being damaged or looted, along with the destruction of bus shelters and advertising hoardings.
In contrast, the second march, comprising around 3,000 people including families, proceeded more peacefully.
This group moved from the city center towards the La Pallice agricultural export terminal, a key site singled out by organizers for their demonstrations. Some participants even took to kayaks and inflatable boats to approach the terminal.
By 3:00 pm, a combined total of approximately 3,500 protesters from both marches were still gathered at the seashore, according to a police source.
Earlier in the day, around 200 people, including farmers with old tractors, had entered the terminal at dawn, leading to a brief but mostly peaceful confrontation with the authorities. The police used tear gas to clear the area.
The protests were organized by the “Reservoirs, No Thanks” movement, which argues that the new reservoirs, designed to collect water from aquifers during the winter for summer irrigation, primarily benefit large-scale agricultural operations at the expense of smaller farmers and the environment.
The movement’s spokesman, Julien Le Guet, criticized the reservoirs as serving international markets rather than supporting local food production.
This demonstration follows a pattern of intense protests in the region. Last year, similar clashes in Sainte-Soline, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) inland from La Rochelle, resulted in severe injuries, with two protesters ending up in a coma and 30 officers wounded.
As the day progressed, further scuffles erupted when demonstrators returned to La Rochelle’s city center from the agricultural port.
Some participants launched fireworks at the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. Le Guet, urging calm, called out: “Cease fire, there are children in the march. Don’t make the same mistake as at Sainte-Soline.”
The ongoing conflict highlights the deep divisions over agricultural policies in France and the growing tension between environmental activists and authorities managing natural resources.
