21 and 22 October. On this occasion we addressed the call to paralyse the works of the freeway that Castres and Tolosa sought to unite.

The eleventh project they intend to build for the benefit of some companies and to the detriment of life. Awareness campaigns, legal resources, requests for retraction and referendum, opinions of scientists, direct actions... all have been useless today. The majority that is against should obey the authority of the State, as in the case of the large vents, the high-speed train or quarries. The accumulation of infrastructure seems to be a matter of survival for the ultra-fast minority of the capitalist world. And political mechanics is well-oiled: favoritism and pressure on the administration, libelous bilinguals about growth, democracy and compensatory measures, and for the alleged agents of the ecobronist threat, bans and mass sending of troops.

Above the friendly context, in the field of militants for common well-being, forms of organization and action are being strengthened. North of the heritage of Notre-Dame-des-Landes and the Bateragune of Sainte-Solin, the young generation takes on the dynamic. Yes, we are a persecuted nature. For a weekend, the empty camp of a supportive peasant becomes a colorful base of camps with tents, canteens and nurseries, congresses, concerts and mittens. Some groups distribute information on how to act against sexist repression and violence. We cross thousands of people from many places, in environments of charity and determination. And when several manifestations arise at the same time, each one chooses what is best for him: familiar, offensive, by bicycle, to visit the biotope of the place, etc. We took the march together under the uncontrollable hum of helicopters, we separated each time in the afternoon we will meet for the first villains.

In these popular mobilizations, feelings of unity, strength and diversity are rapid. One of the manifestations acquires an expropriated farm that intends to destroy to cover tar, is a tingling activating it immediately, aided by the melody of a fanfarre. Cleaning, rubbing, embellishment and barricades, setting up committees and improvised meals, and the excitement of the spokesmen of local associations, thanking all attendees for the new illusion of fighting. The ministers of Macron and the Socialist Party will put what they want, the ZAD are joyful and conciliatory spaces.

But everything rises with the arrival of dark blue robots. Clubs, tear gas, grenades, rubber balls and armoured vehicles. Most of the protesters, accustomed to these attacks, have quite a few defenses facing conventional weaponry. In manifestations of denouncing reserves or rising fuel prices, such as the murder of a young man by car, the government is prepared to kill to hurt its citizens. Forces uniformly care about climate warming evidence, GIEC recommendations. And – in order for the dialogue to really begin – in the face of the questions of the paralysis of calmados and works, the prefects constantly resort to provocation, making false decisions to make them move forward faster.

The weekend ends between hope and anger. Shared cars are organized, picking up tents. We admire the efforts of the volunteers to organize these kinds of meetings and at the same time we shake up the violence of those in power. We set out on the agenda the next quotations, here the regional coordination, there the maneuver, the possibilities are very wide. The last task is to avoid gendarmadness controls at the four margins of the camp.

If a lesson can be drawn from such events, it is about stimulating the courage and imagination to put real clubs on the wheels of the system. Despite the need for ecosystems and other alternative proposals, the consultation period for mediocre measures has ended. On the way back, we repeat that the priority objective is to win locally, and that perhaps the coming toothpaste can be expelled from the Marienese lands by the multinational Bouygues. Let us prepare properly.

Hartu Lopez Arana, member of the OSTIA network