Clashes between protesters and police, including barricades, burning trash, damage, throwing objects and tear gas, as a demonstration against large tanks in La Rochelle, France.


Two demonstrations were organized yesterday in Vienne and today in La Rochelle to protest against the construction of so-called “mega-tanks” of water which, according to the promoters, would in fact largely privatize the use of water by taking it away from citizens and making it available to agricultural companies.


According to the organizers, around 10,000 people took part in the demonstration – half of them, according to a police source – which took place under a tight security cordon that had already anticipated the presence of “several hundred extremists”. Early in the morning, around 200 demonstrators entered the agro-industrial terminal at the port of La Palise by surprise, and were peacefully removed by the gendarmerie. But the commercial port remained the target of two marches that set off early in the afternoon from the city center, one peaceful and the other more aggressive, made up, according to a police source, of around 400 “black blocs” that damaged shop windows and bus stops before being attacked by the gendarmerie with tear gas and batons.


According to a preliminary report from the La Rochelle prosecutor's office, one gendarme was burned and five protesters were slightly injured. Several people were arrested for rebellion, contempt, attempted intrusion or unauthorized demonstration.


The French government has announced the construction of 100 new reservoirs in France by the end of the year to ensure that farms continue to have access to water. The European Commission is supporting the project while warning against any “over-extraction” of water from aquifers.

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