French climate activists are waging war against water hoarders
In the face of drought across France, activist coalition Earth Uprising is escalating its tactics in the fight over water. Now, the state ha
“As of 30 June, 42 of France’s 96 mainland départements (administrative divisions) contain at least one area with water restrictions. 15 of these 42 are officially in crisis, meaning water usage is restricted to priority functions: health, civil security, drinking water and sanitation.
“It’s no surprise, then, that French climate groups are escalating their tactics in the fight over water. In August last year during water restrictions in Vosges in eastern France, activists drilled holes in jacuzzis at a holiday resort. Over the winter, others sabotaged artificial snow canons at Clusaz, south-eastern France, while others set up a ZAD (autonomous zone) in the area, citing the winter drought as their motivation.
“The most contentious of these groups is Les Soulèvements de La Terre, or ‘Earth Uprising’, which is currently waging 100 days of action against ‘water hoarders’ across the country. In response, the French state is cracking down on so-called eco-terrorism – and hard. Earth Uprising’s aim is to ‘take ecologism back to the land’, spokesperson Basile explains to Novara Media. ‘When we talk about climate change, it can feel like something that’s very far away,’ he says. ‘But defending agricultural land, the green spaces where we live, that’s very tangible.’
“In recent months, this rationale has led Earth Uprising to fight against ‘concretisation’, as concrete production is water intensive. In December, the group targeted concrete production firm Lafarge in Bouc-Bel-Air in southern France. 200 activists broke onto the site, attacking equipment with hammers and axes and setting light to vehicles. Notably, Basile explains, Lafarge wasn’t just targeted for its concretisation plans, but for funding Islamic State in Syria.
“Earth Uprising also targets agribusiness, blockading Monsanto sites and attacking megabasins – large, man-made reservoirs which store water for agricultural use, filled by pumping water from the water table in the winter months. In March, 30,000 people descended on a megabasin construction site in Sainte-Soline in western France, sabotaging the pumps. When the police fired grenades and teargas into the crowd, the crowd fought back. 5,000 grenades were used over the course of a few hours, and by the end of the day, hundreds of protesters and dozens of police were injured.
“‘France is the only western democracy where maintaining order involves firing on the crowd with military grade weaponry,’ Basile says. This can be seen from the state response to the gilets jaunes to the recent wave of protests following the killing by police of unarmed 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk.”
