The Battle of Sivens Part 1

"For a rural farm ecology respectful of life"
Near the forest of Sivens, a tent was set up by opponents to a dam project.
The dam would be used to maintain the low water level (the lowest annual level reached by a river) of the Tescou, a small tributary of the Tarn and to secure the water supply of nearby farms (about 20 according to the opponents and 82 according to those in favor of the project)*, but whose construction would destroy a wetland.

"On February 12, 2014, the prefect of the Tarn [Josiane Chevalier] authorized the capture of protected animals in the area and the subsequent deforestation."** Sivens, Department of France - February 2014.

*https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/08/31/1942603-semaine-cruciale-a-sivens-pour-le-projet-de-barrage.html
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_du_projet_de_barrage_de_Sivens
(accessed Aug 9, 2020)

- A panel installed by the Confederation Paysanne: For a moratorium and a real public debate!"
The call for a moratorium on the Sivens project and independent studies begins as follows:
"Under the management of the General Council of the Tarn and the Prefecture, the Sivens dam project (on the Tescou river in the northwest of the Tarn) is presented as being in the general interest. 70% is in fact intended for intensive irrigation (irrigated corn) on about twenty farms, and 30% to support the low water level of the river (dilution of pollution instead of reducing it at the source)."*
- "No to the Dam!"
In front of a tent set up by opponents of the construction of a dam on the Sivens wetland. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - February 2014.

'This water supply reservoir project, which dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, is still being postponed, and has recently received unfavorable opinions from the National Office for Water and Aquatic Environments (ONEMA) in 2010, and from the National Council for the Protection of Nature (CNPN) and the Regional Scientific Council for Natural Heritage in 2013.
Declared to be of general interest by the Tarn prefect Josiane Chevalier on October 3, 2013, the protesters have been waiting since 2011 for answers to the questions they have been asking (about its cost and who will be the beneficiaries) of the Tarn general council, the owner of the Sivens forest which encompasses part of the Tescou valley, the Tescou basin being described as a milieu with high environmental stakes. The general council of the Tarn is also the project manager of the dam project and this idea, which was revived in 1983, has since been supervised by the Chamber of Agriculture, the Adour-Garonne Water Agency and technicians from the Compagnie d'aménagement des coteaux de Gascogne (CACG).'**

*https://secure.avaaz.org/fr/community_petitions/Appel_pour_un_gel_du_projet_de_barrage_de_Sivens_et_pour_des_analyses_independantes/
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_du_projet_de_barrage_de_Sivens
(accessed Aug 9, 2020)

"No to the dam!"
Occupy the area and be on guard. In addition to the tent, the parked caravan and the hut, the opponents of the dam project on the wetland of Sivens are building a yurt.

"[…] In an open letter to the president of the general council, this collective asks for the cancellation of this dam deemed to be "useless, expensive and oversized". According to them, it is only intended to serve the private interests of the Company d'Aménagement des Coteaux de Gascogne (CACG) which is at the same time the "design office, concessionaire for the control of work, project manager, future potential operator…". They also attack the conflicts of interest of elected departmental officials who are also members of the CACG or the Adour-Garonne water agency, the co-financier of the project, such as André Cabot. […]"*
Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - February 2014

*https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/02/25/1826228-les-opposants-empechent-le-chantier-de-debuter.html (accessed Aug 9, 2020)

"Contre la fuite en avant économique" (Against the pressure of economics)
- A sign placed in view of drivers along the little road that borders the site. The opponents of the dam to be constructed in the wetlands protest against the cost of the project and its intended use for what they alledge is intensive agriculture.
- A peat bog in the wetland. A peat bog is "a particular and fragile ecosystem whose characteristics make it, despite methane emissions, a carbon sink because there is more synthesis of organic matter than degradation (peat ecosystems cover 3% to 5% of exposed soils but have but have the highest carbon densities and constitute the most important active carbon stock of all terrestrial ecosystems…" (Joosten & Couwenberg, 2009)*. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - February 2014.

*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourbière (consulté le 9 août 2020)

A peat bog in the Sivens forest wetland.
This is the location where the Council General of Tarn propose to build a dam that will ensure a minimum flow of water through the Tescou, a small tributary of the Tarn whose water level is relatively weak and irregular. The construction will destroy a wetland but will assure a supply of water to about thirty neighbouring farms. Figures given in the report commissioned by the Ministry of Ecology:

"After examining and cross-checking the data, we arrive at the following results: 30 farms on average pump from the Tescou each year, of which 11, downstream from the confluence of the Tescounet, have picked up volumes from Thérondel. (1) […] In the end, we estimate that the number of beneficiaries of the Sivens dam from the security/substitution perspective is about 30, and new users about 10."* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - February 2014

(1) The Thérondel Dam: "[…] Finally, this dam [Sivens] testifies to the illusion of adapting water resources to the needs of productivist agriculture while climate change requires rather the opposite. The authorities can build grandiose dams, but if they don't fill up it will be a waste of money that could have been spent on the conversion of farms or the structuring of local supply chains for schools and retirement homes. They don't seem to have learned the lessons from difficulties in filling the Thérondel dam (capping at 50% of its capacity in 2012) in the neighbouring department of Tarn-et-Garonne."**

*https://www.vie-publique.fr/sites/default/files/rapport/pdf/144000641.pdf
**http://amisdelaterremp.fr/spip.php?article420
(accessed Aug 9, 2020)

A sign posted on a little bridge along a footpath (GR). It lists the numerous services that these ecosystems provide. "The wetland is: a reservoir of biodiversity, an effective sponge, a natural filter." Department of Tarn, France - February 2014.

This wetland is home for at least "94 protected species"* (insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals). More generally, "[…] Since the beginning of the 20th century it has seen its surface reduced by 67% through the conjunction of three factors: the intensification of agricultural methods, poorly planned hydraulic systems, and pressure from urbanization and transport infrastructures.
As a result, although there has been a slowdown in their regression since the beginning of the 1990s linked to a general awareness of their socio-economic value, wetlands remain in a more and more degraded and threatened position (in terms of their surface and state of conservation).[…]"**

*https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/tarn/le-barrage-de-sivens-pour-les-nuls-546108.html
**https://www.actualites-news-environnement.com/25625-Salon-International-Agriculture-Signature-convention-zones-humides.html
(accessed Aug 9, 2020)

The Testet wetland is situated upstream of the valley and at the foot of the Sivens forest. Covering 18.8 hectars, it is considered "by the environmental group DREAL, (Direction Régionale de l'Environnement, de l'Aménagement et du Logement) as being 'part of the Departments major wet zones in terms of biodiversity'."* Further, according to a DREAL advisory "published in July 2012, the construction of the dam 'will lead directly by flooding to the destruction of 12.7 ha of wetlands and indirectly, due to the creation of the dam, the loss of functionality of 5.4 ha'. However, with its 185 hillside reservoirs which 'filter' 5.1 million cubic meters of natural water, this wetland also provides innumerable ecological services to the human communities."**

Among the types of wetlands, the Testet is classified in the category "Meadows alluvial wetland". In the Department of Tarn only two of this type are listed. The diversity of environments (ecological mosaic) makes it an area with a great richness of flora and fauna. It has an important role in the regulation of water flow, storing water in winter and restoring it in the dry period functioning as a flood control Compared to the other wetlands of this type in the department, the Testet was the richest in biological diversity. Located in the center of a forest area it acts as a transmission area between peripheral ecosystems. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - August 2014

*https://www.ouest-france.fr/environnement/barrage-de-sivens-le-notre-dame-des-landes-du-sud-en-cinq-questions-2935060?page=5
**https://www.liberation.fr/terre/2014/08/28/tarn-barnum-autour-d-un-barrage_1088934
(accessed Aug 9, 2020)

"It is me who makes you breathe" Numerous signs like this one were hung in the trees shortly after the start of the clearing, aimed at the site workers, their bosses and the - approximately - 200 GMs (gendarmes mobiles) who were there to "secure" the site throughout September. On other signs were written "What about your children?", "You don't have to", "A job doesn't replace a forest", etc. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

- Anonymous zadists (activists protecting the Zone à Défendre -ZAD-) (1) Anonymous zadists next to a barricade. The fight against the dam on the Testet wetland was first led on the legal front by a collective (Collectif pour la sauvegarde du Testet), associations (FNE, Apifera, etc.), the Confédération Paysanne, etc., before the arrival of the first zadists in 2014 to occupy the site and confront the "forced implementation" by the project's owners. This dam-reservoir of 1.5 million m3 of water storage, supported by the department, aims to maintain a minimum water level of the Tescou, a small tributary of the Tarn, and to ensure a water supply to the neighbouring farms (about twenty for opponents and 82 for those in favour of the project) at a cost of more than 8 million euros.

- On the right, one of the first photos taken at Sivens. This young man is "holding the barricade" while waiting for the decision of the GA (general assembly) of the zadists, which is taking place about thirty metres away. Opposite, the mobile police are being deployed. That day there will be no direct confrontation and the Molotov cocktails at his feet on the right will not be thrown. The clearing of the forest will begin on the Monday of the following week. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - August 2014.

(1) ZAD originally stood for "Zone à Aménagement différé" (Deferred Development Zone). The acronym was hijacked by opponents of the Notre Dame des Landes project who occupied the land in order to prevent the start of construction of the new Nantes airport.

*https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/08/31/1942603-semaine-cruciale-a-sivens-pour-le-projet-de-barrage.html (accessed 9 August 2020)

Negotiations between opponents of the dam project, Lieutenant Colonel Sylvain Renier*, commander of the Tarn gendarmerie group and Commander Emmanuel Leibovici** in charge of the Gaillac gendarmerie. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - August 2014.

*https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/20/1955734-le-lieutenant-colonel-renier-officiellement-intronise.html
**https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/08/23/1938284-emmanuel-leibovici-aux-commandes.html
(accessed on 9 August 2020)

Classic scene at Sivens. At the end of the day, to protect their departure, the gendarmes "light up" the barricaders with tear gas and sometimes flashballs. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

« August 2014 In the hope of obtaining the suspension of the works, FNE Midi-Pyrénées, Nature Midi-Pyrénées and the Collectif Testet request the cancellation and then the suspension of the authorisation to destroy protected species. The interim relief judge rejected this request on 16 September 2014, without responding to the arguments raised.

27 August 2014 Several members of the Collective began a hunger strike to demand a moratorium on the project and the opening of a adversarial debate. Some of them will maintain the strike for two months until 27 October 2014, the date of the publication of the expert report ordered by the Minister. »*

*https://www.fne.asso.fr/dossiers/sivens-histoire-dune-mobilisation(consulté le 9 août 2020)

Fire lit near one of the barricades built by the zadists (activists protecting the zone to be defended -ZAD-) to block the passage of the gendarmes.* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

*https://www.letarnlibre.com/2014/08/25/1250-regain-tension-sur-site-barrage-sivens-pendant-toute-journee-lundi-aout.html (accessed on 9 August 2020)

- A gendarme takes up position on the ZAD (Zone à Défendre) of Sivens.
- A small group of zadists leaves the wetland. In the distance, a "mobile pirate" (a car) used by some occupiers to move quickly in case of an urgent need of reinforcement. In the foreground a detail of a zadist camp surrounded by trucks and vintage campers. The place named Gazad, Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

The road that goes from the Métairie Neuve (a farmhouse occupied by the zadists) to the head of the dam proposed by the Conseil Général.
ZAD (1) for Zone à Défendre. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - August 2014.

(1) ZAD originally meant "Zone à Aménagement différé"(Deferred Development Zone). Its acronym was hijacked by opponents of the Notre Dame des Landes project who occupied the land in order to prevent the start of construction of the new Nantes airport.

Behind a barricade, this hooded Zadist is armed with a slingshot which he uses to launch projectiles at the gendarmes. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - August 2014.

Zadists confront the gendarmes. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - August 2014.

Pavilion in the Bouillonnante camp, a place of life: one shelters there, one rests there, one cooks there, one meets there (AG "assemblée générale" of the zadists), one organizes the struggle there. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

A young man recovers a piece of wood from the Tescou which will be useful in the construction of his camp. This place, very close to the small wooden bridge where the GR (Chemin de Grande Randonnée) passes, was a place well liked by the zadists as a natural "bathroom". Place of Gazad, Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

A young man recovers a piece of wood from the Tescou which will be useful in the construction of his camp. Place of Gazad, Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

A zadist waves a white flag. In the background, the pavilion of the Bouillonnante camp, (a place of life): one shelters there, one rests there, one cooks there, one meets there (AG "assemblée générale" of the zadists), one organizes the struggle there. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

A team of volunteers (MÉDIC) and a rescue vehicle, medical first-aid at the ZAD. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

A volunteer (MÉDIC) and a rescue vehicle, medical first-aid at the ZAD. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

At the side of the road, a sign "Forest in danger" on a pylon at the entrance to the ZAD. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

Negotiations between gendarmes and opponents of the dam project, members of the Collectif pour la Sauvegarde de la Zone Humide du Testet*. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - August 2014.
*https://www.collectif-testet.org/ (accessed August 9, 2020)

On the morning of the first day of deforestation, Marc, one of the four hunger strikers (that day) goes to contact the gendarmes who arrived on the site. The day before, during a rally in support of the strikers with about 200 people, including two general councillors, in a farmer's field, he declared to the press: "There are four of us, but as of today, four others are going on hunger strike [...]. In a state of law, it is necessary to wait for the judgment of all the appeals".

The strikers ask for an adversarial public debate and a moratorium of a few weeks until the expected decisions of the court, the ministry in charge of ecology and, in the end, the European commission.
"It's been a year and a half that we are asking for a moratorium and we are not listened to. We will go to the end of our hunger strike if we have to", says Ben (1). The deforestation must officially begin today.»* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

(1) Ben Lefetey, spokesperson for the Collective for the Safeguard of the Testet Wetland. (https://www.collectif-testet.org/)
*https://www.ladepeche.fr/amp/article/2014/09/01/1942927-barrage-de-sivens-ils-soutiennent-les-grevistes-de-la-faim.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

On the morning of the first day of deforestation on the edge of the wetland, a zadist waits for the arrival of the gendarmes in front of a bridge blocked by an agricultural machine. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

On the morning of the first day of deforestation, gendarmes enter a meadow that precedes the wetland. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

On the morning of the first day of deforestation, gendarmes enter a meadow that precedes the wetland. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

First day of deforestation at the edge of the wetland. Clowns "taunt" about 200* gendarmes who were there in order to protect the work of the loggers from the actions of opponents who numbered about 200 as well. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

*https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/visuel/2014/10/31/barrage-de-sivens-cartographie-de-la-contestation_4515923_4355770.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

The dam opponents vs. gendarmes and clowns crying after being tear gassed during the first day of deforestation at the edge of the wetland. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

First day of deforestation, a brigade of activist clowns tries to delay the advance of the GMs (gendarmes mobiles) and the first construction workers who follow (mainly loggers that day). Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1st, 2014.

A musician and clowns confront a gendarme on the first day of deforestation at the edge of the wetland. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

Gendarmes and a zadist on the first day of deforestation at the edge of the wetland. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

Gendarmes and a zadist on the first day of deforestation at the edge of the wetland. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

First day of deforestation. A small zadist "welcome party" faces the gendarmes in order to prevent their progress in the zone to be defended (ZAD) and thus delay the beginning of construction. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

- Discussions between 3 elected officials including Gérard Onesta (EELV-Europe Écologie Les Verts-) vice-president of the Midi-Pyrénées regional council, Guillaume Cros regional councillor (EELV) and Major Leibovici in charge of the Gaillac gendarmerie.
"'It's a power grab that is not admissible', said Guillaume Cros, the regional councillor, estimating that the General Council 'can wait' before starting the work. About thirty representatives of EELV (Europe écologie les verts), the Left Front and the Confédération Paysanne had gathered around 1:30 pm in front of the Conseil général of Tarn in Albi to ask to be received by the elected officials. They asked once again for a moratorium while waiting to know the result of the three appeals lodged before the administrative court as well as the summary suspension concerning the deforestation. […] 'We met a wall', commented the environmentalist Gerard Onesta at the end of the meeting. 'From now on, the collective of Testet appeals to the Minister of Ecology Ségolène Royal'."*
- First day of clearing. "A small welcoming party", zadist facing the gendarmes in order to prevent their progress into the zone to defend (ZAD) and thus to delay the beginning of construction. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

*https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/02/1943603-barrage-de-sivens-le-deboisement-debute-sous-haute-tension.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

Relocation of a tractor planned to prevent the progress of the gendarmes into the zone to be defended (ZAD) and thus to delay the beginning of construction. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

Zadists in the forest and a zadist facing the gendarmes in order to prevent their progress into the zone to be defended (ZAD) and thus to delay the beginning of construction. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

In the forest, an elected official (EELV-Europe Écologie Les Verts-) Guillaume Cros, regional councillor, and an opponent of the dam project are facing the gendarmes. "[…] At the national level, Europe Écologie-Les Verts expresses 'full support' to the opponents of this 'outdated project that responds to the logic of a productivist agriculture' […]."* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

*https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/09/03/dans-le-tarn-opposition-se-renforce-contre-un-barrage-menacant-une-zone-humide_4481302_3244.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

First day of deforestation. Questioning of these three dam opponents who had managed to overrun the security cordon of the mobile gendarmes and enter the perimeter of the deforestation site. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

First day of deforestation. Arrest of these three zadists who had managed to overrun the security cordon of the mobile gendarmes and enter the perimeter of the deforestation site. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1st, 2014.

First day of deforestation. Arrest of this opponent of the dam project. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

"Construction site forbidden to the public - Sebso." Behind the placard is a logger hired by Sebso (Société d'Exploitation des Bois du Sud Ouest). Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

First day of the deforestation: a logger hired by Sebso (Société d'Exploitation des Bois du Sud Ouest). My request for authorization to take the photo is made in sign language because he doesn't speak a word of French, just like other of his colleagues.
"[…] While the municipal court of Toulouse is to judge in fifteen days the validity of the deforestation of the said area, 130 gendarmes accompanied on Monday an army of loggers to begin without delay the work of felling."* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

*https://www.liberation.fr/societe/2014/09/01/a-sivens-le-deboisement-commence-et-rend-furieux-les-militants-antibarrage_1091704 (accessed 9 Aug 2020)

"You don't have to" Numerous signs like this one were hung in the trees shortly after the clearing began, aimed at the site workers, their bosses and the - approximately - 200 GMs (mobile gendarmes) who were there to "secure" the site throughout September. On other signs were written "And your children?", "It is me who makes you breathe", "A job does not replace a forest", etc. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

First day of deforestation at the edge of the wetland; "logging work, prior to the creation of the wetland reservoir, begins under the protection of nearly 200 gendarmes."* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 1, 2014.

*https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/visuel/2014/10/31/barrage-de-sivens-cartographie-de-la-contestation_4515923_4355770.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

On the morning of the second day of deforestation at the edge of the wetland, arrival of the gendarmes who "evacuate" the opponents of the dam from the construction site with tear gas. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2, 2014.

In the early morning, the gendarmes dislodged one of the opponents to the dam project (Éric Pétetin, known as the Indian or "Pétof", an environmental activist known for his struggle against the construction of the Somport tunnel in the 1980s) so that the deforestation (of part of the Sivens forest and its wetland) undertaken the day before could continue.
[…] A good hundred Zadists were scattered in the four corners of the forest ready to resist the first steps of the works. Everyone had their own strategy to resist the advance of the loggers. On the front line, the confrontation is more peaceful.[…]"* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2, 2014.

*https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/02/1943603-barrage-de-sivens-le-deboisement-debute-sous-haute-tension.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

- A zadist perched in a tree to protect it from being cut down. Day after day, many will adopt this mode of struggle, climbing into the trees in the early morning before the arrival of the GMs (Gendarmes mobiles) and the construction site workers and coming down again when they leave.
- "A job does not replace a forest" Numerous signs like this one were hung in the trees shortly after the beginning of the deforestation, intended for the construction workers, their bosses and the - approximately - 200 GMs who were there to "secure" the place throughout the month of September. On other signs were written "And your children?", "It is me who makes you breathe", etc. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 3, 2014.

- "What about your children??" Numerous signs like this one were hung on the trees shortly after the clearing began, aimed at the site workers, their bosses and the - approximately - 200 GM (Mobile Gendarmes) who were there to "secure" the site throughout September. On other signs were written "You don't have to", "It's me who makes you breathe", "A job doesn't replace a forest", etc.
- A clown takes his place in a tree in the pine forest to protect it from being cut. Day after day, many people will adopt this way of fighting, climbing trees in the early morning before the arrival of the GMs and the construction workers and coming down when they leave. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 3, 2014.

A young clown takes his place in a tree to protect it from being cut down. Day after day, many will adopt this mode of struggle, climbing trees in the early morning before the arrival of the GMs (Mobile Gendarmes) and the construction workers and coming down again when they leave. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

In order to protect this tree "christened Mirador", as well as those around it from the anticipated logging, this opponent of the dam occupies one of the shelters built in the trees. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

"Booby-trapped forest" at the entrance to the pine forest. Numerous signs like this one were hung on the trees shortly after the clearing began, aimed at the site workers, their bosses and the - approximately - 200 GM (Gendarmes mobiles) who were there to "secure" the site throughout September. On other signs were written "You don't have to", "It is me who makes you breathe", "A job does not replace a forest", etc. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

The arrival of a tree harvester on the site of the dam construction project, under the protection of GMs (Mobile Gendarmes), the day after deforestation began. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 3, 2014.

These 2 opponents of the construction of the Sivens dam were taken away by the GM (gendarmes mobiles). On this day, the plan was to advance using another access in order to bring in a tree harvester and begin clearing a pine forest. Department of Tarn, France - September 3, 2014.

Day of the capture of the pine forest. In the vicinity of the Métairie Neuve (an abandoned farm occupied by the zadists) the GMs (gendarmes mobiles) have just cleared a barricade aimed at blocking the arrival of the tree harvesting machines. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 3, 2014.

The day after the start of deforestation, arrival of a tree harvester on the site of the dam construction project under the protection of the GM (gendarmes mobiles). Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 3, 2014.

- Tent in the camp of the Bouillonnante: place of life where one shelters, rests, cooks, meets (GA - general assembly- of the zadists), organizes the fight there…
- The same under tear gas. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

This zadist repairs the tents that have been knocked down during a strike by the gendarmes. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

Under the eyes of the gendarmes and the zadists, a bailiff serves a notice, an order of eviction from the ZAD. The zadists refusing to have a representative and thus having no interlocutor, the bailiff deposits the notice in the grass in front of witnesses. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

Gérard Onesta (EELV-Europe Écologie Les Verts) witnessed an offensive by the gendarmes on the camp of the zadists. With his phone recharged thanks to a solar battery, he contacted newspaper editors to alert them to the situation.
"Gérard Onesta (EELV), vice-president of the Midi-Pyrénées regional council, present on the site, launched on Wednesday 'a solemn appeal to Ségolène Royal, Minister of Ecology, ecouraging her to set a moratorium since the big machines are going into action and creating an irreversible situation'. […] Mr. Onesta believes that a moratorium is all the more essential as 'the administrative court must rule in the next few days on the legality of the prefectural order authorizing the deforestation'."* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - 3 September 2014.

*https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/09/03/dans-le-tarn-l-opposition-se-renforce-contre-un-barrage-menacant-une-zone-humide_4481302_3244.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

At the end of the day, opponents of the Sivens dam, including elected officials from the department and the region, block the convoy of GMs (gendarmes mobiles) escorting the tree harvester as it leaves. On the right is the Green regional councilor Guillaume Cros. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 3, 2014.

At the end of the day: opponents of the Sivens dam, including elected officials from the department and the region, block the convoy of GMs (gendarmes mobiles) escorting the tree harvester that has come to start clearing the pine forest. Here are the general councillors Rolland Foissac (PC)--in a white shirt--who abstained from the vote on the project* and Jacques Pagès (Div G)--to his left--the only elected official in the department to have voted against the dam project.** Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - 3 September 2014. *https://www.nouvelobs.com/politique/20141029.OBS3526/sivens-au-conseil-general-du-tarn-on-croit-au-barrage-malgre-tout.html
**https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/061114/sivens-un-drame-etait-inevitable?onglet=full
(accessed August 9, 2020)

At the headquarters of the Bouillonnante camp at the end of the day, opponents of the dam project are satisfied to have delayed the departure of the tree harvester that started clearing the forest. Sivens, Tarn Department, France - 3 September 2014.

Confrontation between opponents of the Sivens dam and the gendarmes mobiles. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

"[…] According to La Croix, some opponents have been occupying the land since last October, others have started a hunger strike, and the situation is comparable to the ZAD (zone to be defended) that was set up near Nantes against the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport. […] France Nature Environnement Midi-Pyrénées and Nature Midi-Pyrénées join the Testet collective in pointing out that 'legal appeals are still underway' and in describing as a 'farce' the 'environmental exemplarity' of the project, claimed by the general council and the Tarn prefecture.[…]"*

*https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/09/03/dans-le-tarn-l-opposition-se-renforce-contre-un-barrage-menacant-une-zone-humide_4481302_3244.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

"94 protected species are in danger"
Action in support of the hunger strikers at Place du Vigan in Albi against the Sivens dam project. Here five hunger strikers: Christian Pince, Éric Petetin, Roland Fourcard in the centre, Gilles Olivet and Marc Pourreyon. Together with the Collectif pour la sauvegarde du Testet, are demanding in vain from the Conseil Général "a public debate with a moratorium on the Sivens dam project."* Albi, Département du Tarn - 6 September 2014.
*http://www.collectif-testet.org/actualite-213-albi-6-9-soutien-aux-grevistes-de-la-faim.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

"Testet, independent expertise. Is that too much to ask?"
Demonstration at Place du Vigan in Albi against the Sivens dam project. Together with the Collectif pour la sauvegarde du Testet, they demand in vain from the Conseil Général "a public debate with a moratorium on the Sivens dam project."* Albi, Département du Tarn - 6 September 2014.

*http://www.collectif-testet.org/actualite-213-albi-6-9-soutien-aux-grevistes-de-la-faim.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

"Corrupted Offcials, Ruined Planet"
Close to the Métairie occupied by the zadists, a trench was dug with a pickaxe to, among other things, block the passage of construction machinery. "During the first vote of the departmental assembly on 17 May 2013, 43 elected representatives voted in favour of the project, only one voted against, the left-wing politician Jacques Pagès, and two communist elected representatives abstained, Roland Foissac and Serge Entraygues."* In their study of the dossier, the opponents of the dam have pointed out conflicts of interest and have not ceased to denounce a "denial of democracy" in the "forced passage" by the General Council.
"[For example], André Cabot (PS) is vice-president of the Tarn department, [he] is vice-president of the Adour-Garonne agency commission, [he] also represents the communes in the ad hoc college of the water agency as mayor of Valderiès [and] is one of the directors of the CACG [Compagnie Générale des Coteaux de Gascogne]. In the case of Sivens […], it is she who carried out the studies in 2001, [she] who updated them in 2009, [she], again, who is the project manager [she] finally, who was to become the manager of the resource afterwards."** *https://www.nouvelobs.com/politique/20141029.OBS3526/sivens-au-conseil-general-du-tarn-on-croit-au-barrage-malgre-tout.html
**https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/11/03/barrage-de-sivens-un-dossier-entache-de-conflits-d-interets_4517419_3244.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

As every morning, after having cleared the area of its occupants, mainly with tear gas, the work on the site resumes under the watch of the gendarmes mobiles (GM): an oak tree is being uprooted. We are here in the megaphorbia of the wetland, a habitat for reptiles.
"The project involves the construction of a reservoir dam with a water volume of 1.5 million m3 over a surface of 42 hectares at the foot of the Sivens forest, including 13 hectares in the Testet wetland. A 304-metre long and 13-metre high dam will be built."* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

*https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/08/31/1942603-semaine-cruciale-a-sivens-pour-le-projet-de-barrage.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

This zadist watches the progress of the deforestation. "The Sivens water reservoir project is located on the wild and preserved part of the Tescou river. The site, home to 94 protected species, is partly classified as a natural zone of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest (ZNIEFF). The dam is expected to flood 29 hectares of the Sivens forest, certified as a classified wooded area (EBC), and 18 hectares of grassland, under 1.5 million m3 of water. The Testet wetland would see 12.7 hectares of its environment drowned by the dam"* This project, supported by the Department, aims to provide a minimum low water level of the Tescou, a small tributary of the Tarn, and to secure the water supply of neighbouring farms. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.
*http://www.naturemp.org/-Sivens-.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

On the edge of the pine forest. The wood cut here to make room for the dam will be sent to a paper mill, according to what I've been told.
Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 2014.

One of the "big family picnics" on the edge of the Testet wetland organised by the Collectif de la Sauvegarde du Testet and its partners to protest against the dam project.
"Just over 2,000 people took part in a picnic in solidarity with opponents of the Tescou dam project in Sivens on Sunday 7 September."
Here is the banner of the Confédération Paysanne Agricultural Union opposed to the construction of a dam on the Sivens wetland asking like other opponents for a moratorium. In the background a gendarmerie helicopter flies over the site.
Sivens, Tarn Department, France - 7 September 2014.

*http://www.letarnlibre.com/2014/09/07/1293-faut-arreter-projet-declare-jose-bove-devant-500-personnes-rassemblees-sivens-pour-pique-nique-solidarite-avec-opposants-barrage.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

One of the "big family picnics" organised by the Collectif pour la Sauvegarde de la zone humide du Testet and its partners to protest against the dam project.
"Just over 2,000 people took part in a picnic in Sivens on Sunday 7 September in solidarity with the opponents of the dam project on the Tescou."*
Here an opponent of the construction of a dam on the Sivens wetland reacts to a gendarmerie helicopter flying over the scene.
Sivens, Tarn Department, France - 7 September 2014.

*http://www.letarnlibre.com/2014/09/07/1293-faut-arreter-projet-declare-jose-bove-devant-500-personnes-rassemblees-sivens-pour-pique-nique-solidarite-avec-opposants-barrage.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

One of the "big family picnics" organised by the Collectif pour la Sauvegarde de la zone humide du Testet and its partners to protest against the dam project. Sivens, Tarn Department, France - 7 September 2014.

Interview with José Bové who came to give his support at one of the "big family picnics" organised by the Collectif pour la sauvegarde de la zone humide du Testet and its partners.
"José Bové, who was present, recalled the reasons which, in his opinion, should lead to the abandonment of the dam project: 'While global warming is a reality, it is urgent to change agricultural practices, which must adapt to this climatic evolution and not the other way round, creating a water reservoir to support crops that need irrigation is absurd'. […] He specified that he was in contact with the office of Ségolène Royal, Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development, whom he hopes will request a halt to the project: 'Tomorrow, deforestation will resume, there will be the forces of law and order, and in front of them will be members of associations for the defence of nature, the Confédération paysanne, and elected officials from the department and the region. Ségolène Royal cannot allow these activists to be gassed and repressed'."* Sivens, Tarn Department, France - 7 September 2014.>br>
*http://www.letarnlibre.com/2014/09/07/1293-faut-arreter-projet-declare-jose-bove-devant-500-personnes-rassemblees-sivens-pour-pique-nique-solidarite-avec-opposants-barrage.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

José Bové speaks at one of the "big family picnics" organised by the Collectif pour la sauvegarde de la zone humide du Testet and its partners.
"A little over 2000 people took part in a picnic in Sivens on Sunday 7 September in solidarity with the opponents of the Tescou dam project. José Bové, European deputy for Europe Ecologie - Les Verts (EE-LV), said that the construction of the dam represented a 'steamroller logic'. He asked that the project be stopped while awaiting the judicial decision on its merits."* He said that "no one is unaware of the Sivens dam project anymore and this is a first victory for the mobilisation". The MEP also called on the Minister of Ecology: "only one person can suspend the project and she has the elements: Ségolène Royal must act quickly!"**
Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - 7 September 2014.

*http://www.letarnlibre.com/2014/09/07/1293-faut-arreter-projet-declare-jose-bove-devant-500-personnes-rassemblees-sivens-pour-pique-nique-solidarite-avec-opposants-barrage.html
**https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/tarn/un-dimanche-de-mobilisation-citoyenne-pour-dire-non-au-barrage-de-sivens-545778.html
(accessed August 9, 2020)

Ben Lefetey (one of the opponents of the Sivens dam and spokesperson for the Collectif de la sauvegarde de la zone humide du Testet) speaks at one of the "big family picnics" on the edge of the Testet wetland organised by the Collectif and its partners.
"We are in the middle of the stream and we will not have a second chance or a second planet" says the Collective for the safeguard of the Testet wetland in its call for mobilization. It deplores the deforestation that has begun and fears that things will accelerate on Monday: 'Monday morning, either we will be there, we will be united beyond our differences and we will definitively save the wetland and all its exceptional heritage, or we will remain passive (…) and we will leave the field open for the final devastation!'* The next day will be the 'burial' episode." Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - 7 September 2014.

*https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/tarn/un-dimanche-de-mobilisation-citoyenne-pour-dire-non-au-barrage-de-sivens-545778.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

The burial episode. On this day, 5 people buried themselves up to their chests in an access road to the ZAD in order to prevent the passage of the deforestation machines. Here the arrival of the gendarmes is blocked by the opponents of the dam. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

-Burial episode. This day five people buried themselves up to their chests in an access road to the ZAD, in order to prevent the passage of deforestation machinery. Here, Ben Lefetey, spokesperson for the Collectif pour la sauvegarde du Testet, coordinates the action.
-Burial episode. Ben Lefetey, spokesperson for the Collectif pour la sauvegarde du Testet, negotiates with Major Leibovici in charge of the Gaillac gendarmerie while on the phone with the cabinet of the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy: Ségolène Royal.
Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

Five people buried themselves up to their chests "in the immediate vicinity of the site,[…] to prevent the progress of the loggers' machines"* They were surrounded and protected by demonstrators, which made any charge by the GMs (gendarmes mobiles) dangerous. They are tear gassed which does not make them move a centimetre. They are protesting against the "dam that will cause the destruction of 13 hectares of wetlands between Lisle-sur-Tarn and Gaillac." Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

*https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/09/08/tensions-dans-le-tarn-ou-le-barrage-de-sivens-attise-la-guerre-de-l-eau_4483492_3244.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

Around mid-day, a team of firefighters comes to take care of the activists, assisting them by monitoring their health before they dig themselves out to make way for other volunteers.
"The day before, on Sunday 7 September, the words of Ségolène Royal (1) had raised hopes of a moratorium on this future artificial lake. The lake, with a total surface area of 48 hectares, is intended to retain 1.5 million cubic metres of water to ensure a summer supply of water to some farmers downstream. […]"* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

(1) Ségolène Royal, Ministre de l'écologie et du développement durable

*https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/09/08/tensions-dans-le-tarn-ou-le-barrage-de-sivens-attise-la-guerre-de-l-eau_4483492_3244.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

The five people who buried themselves up to their chests are surrounded and protected by demonstrators, making any charge by the gendarmes mobiles (GM) dangerous. Here they have deployed tarpaulins to shelter from the rain.
"'Water is a precious commodity', insisted the Minister of Ecology on Sunday (1), suggesting in substance that her ministry does not give permission to allow a few large farms to appropriate the resource thanks to public investments."*

(1) Ségolène Royal, Ministre de l'écologie et du développement durable

*https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/09/08/tensions-dans-le-tarn-ou-le-barrage-de-sivens-attise-la-guerre-de-l-eau_4483492_3244.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

"At the end of the day, the gendarmes mobiles charged and trampled the buried people in order to push the group back. One of the buried activists lost consciousness and had to be evacuated to the hospital by the firefighters."* Many of the opponents present noted that the operation took place just after the media had left. And the deforestation of the site resumed for a short hour. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

*http://www.collectif-testet.org/230+les-videos-qui-temoignent.html (accessed August 9, 2020)

- At the end of the day, the GMs (gendarmes mobiles) charged and trampled on the buried people in order to push back the group. They had just freed one of the buried people who had lost consciousness and who had to be evacuated to hospital by the fire brigade. Many of the opponents present noted that the operation took place just after the media had left. And the deforestation of the site resumed for another hour. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.
- On the right, some time later in front of the deforested wetland, the dam opponent who had fainted during operation "burial".

At the end of the day, the GMs (gendarmes mobiles) charged and trampled on the buried people in order to push back the crowd. They had just freed one of the buried people who had lost consciousness and who had to be evacuated to hospital by the fire brigade. Many of the opponents present noted that the operation took place just after the media had left. And the deforestation of the site resumed for another hour. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

Burial episode. That day, five people buried themselves up to their chests, surrounded and protected by demonstrators, in an access road to the ZAD, in order to prevent the passage of the deforestation machines. Dislodged by the mobile gendarmes, they were pushed back, and with them the other opponents who were standing at the other end of the path, out of the construction area in order to make way for the machines. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

Burial episode. That day, five people buried themselves up to their chests, surrounded and protected by demonstrators, in an access road to the ZAD, in order to prevent the passage of deforestation machinery. Dislodged by the mobile gendarmes, they were pushed out of the construction area, and with them the other opponents who were standing at the other end of the path, to make way for the construction machinery. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

Burial episode. That day, five people buried themselves up to their chests, surrounded and protected by demonstrators, in an access road to the ZAD, in order to prevent the passage of the deforestation machines. Dislodged by the mobile gendarmes, they were pushed back, and with them the other opponents who were standing at the other end of the path, out of the construction area in order to make way for the machines. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

"On n'est pasifist que ça" (We're not just pacifists) - Al quaïda pour l'abandon du barrage" (Al Qaeda for the abandonment of the dam), "ACAB" (All Cops or All Capitalists Are Bastards)
After the "burial" episode, once dislodged from the access road to the ZAD where they were blocking the passage of the deforestation machines, the zadists were pushed out of the construction area by the mobile gendarmes. Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

"Allumer le feu" (Light the fire)
After the "burial" episode, and dislodged from the access road to the ZAD where they blocked the passage of the deforestation equipment, the opponents to the dam project were pushed back to the other side of the Tescou by the gendarmes mobiles.
"The project, which was first proposed in the 1980s and revived in 2000, is estimated to cost 8.4 million euros. According to the public authorities, the Adour-Garonne water agency will finance 53% of the project, the European Feader budget 21%, and the Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne general councils 26%."
"Sivens is the second part of a project carried out by both departments, says Stéphane Mathieu (1). The first part was the Thérondelle reservoir in Tarn-et-Garonne. European funds are available until December 2015. We must complete the work before that date. There is still time, but the room for maneuver is getting smaller."
Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

(1) Stéphane Mathieu, Director of Water at the General Council of the Tarn *https://toulouse.latribune.fr/Economie/barrage-sivens-tarn-opposition-eelv-fnsea-08092014 (accessed August 9, 2020)

- The demonstrators who were blocking an access road to the wetland were dislodged by the gendarmes mobiles and pushed out of the construction area on the other side of the Tescou.
- The deforestation machines can start their work and this opponent cries at the sight of the devastation that will now begin.
"Sivens is the second part of a project carried out by both departments, says Stéphane Mathieu (1). The first part was the Thérondelle reservoir in Tarn-et-Garonne. European funds are available until December 2015. We must complete the work before that date. There is still time, but the room for maneuver is getting smaller."* Sivens, Department of Tarn, France - September 8, 2014.

(1) Stéphane Mathieu, Director of Water at the General Council of the Tarn
*https://toulouse.latribune.fr/Economie/barrage-sivens-tarn-opposition-eelv-fnsea-08092014 (accessed August 9, 2020)

The day after the attempt to physically block the passage of deforestation machinery in Sivens (the "burial" episode), "about fifty opponents of the Sivens dam broke into the General Council of the Tarn to demand that the work be stopped."(1)

But they could not find anyone willing to receive them. "The president PS of the general council, Thierry Carcenac, was in Paris to meet with the Minister of Ecology, Ségolène Royal"(2) who announced earlier on Monday the formation of an expert commission on the Sivens dam project.
"The building suffered some damage and graffiti during its occupation and its forced evacuation by the police."(3)
"For several weeks clashes have been taking place between law enforcement and anti-dams protesters, the latter believing that the deforestation necessary for the project will lead to the disappearance of a 13-hectare biodiversity reservoir."(4) Albi, Department of Tarn, France - September 9, 2014

(1) https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/09/1948096-sivens-violents-affrontements-conseil-general-tarn-militant-garde-vue-diaporama.html
(2) https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/tarn-la-guerilla-se-poursuit-contre-le-projet-de-barrage-de-sivens-09-09-2014-1861657_23.php
(3) https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_du_projet_de_barrage_de_Sivens
(4) https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/09/1948103-opposants-evacues-force-conseil-general-manifestant-garde-vue.html
(accessed August 9, 2020)

The day after the attempt to physically block the passage of the deforestation machines in Sivens (episode of the buried), about fifty activists enter the office of the General Council to establish a dialogue.

They want to "prevent the destruction of the Testet wetland, a 13-hectare biodiversity reservoir …" (1), "…an "immediate halt to deforestation work" on the site of the public dam project carried by the department and "an end to police repression." (2) "The action was mostly symbolic since the president of the general council, Thierry Carcenac, was in Paris this morning to meet with Ségolène Royal. On Monday, the Minister of Ecology appointed two experts to 'promote dialogue'." (3) "The building suffers from some damage and tagging during its occupation and its forceful evacuation by the police." (4) Albi, Department of Tarn, France - September 9, 2014.

(1) https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/tarn-la-guerilla-se-poursuit-contre-le-projet-de-barrage-de-sivens-09-09-2014-1861657_23.php
(2) https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/09/09/tarn-des-opposants-au-barrage-de-sivens-evacues-de-force-du-conseil-general_4484420_3244.html
(3) https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/09/1948096-sivens-violents-affrontements-conseil-general-tarn-militant-garde-vue-diaporama.html
(4) https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_du_projet_de_barrage_de_Sivens
(accessed August 9, 2020)

The day after the attempt to physically block the passage of the deforestation machines in Sivens, about fifty opponents of the Sivens dam entered the office of the General Council.

They "demanded an 'immediate halt to deforestation work' on the site of the proposed dam-reservoir of 1.5 million cubic meters of stored water … (1) The PS president of the general council, Thierry Carcenac, was in Paris to meet with Ecology Minister Ségolène Royal […who] had announced on Monday that experts would be sent to evaluate the project." (2) "After breaking into the general council the activists went up to the second floor where the offices of the president's office are. The discussion began with Stéphane Mathieu, the director of water services, but the situation degenerated half an hour later with the arrival of about 15 police officers." (3) "The building suffers from some damage and tagging during its occupation and its forceful evacuation by the police." (4)

"In a press release, Thierry Carcenac announced that he was going to file a complaint. The president of the general council of the Tarn denounces 'intolerable and dangerous' behaviors and 'false speeches' … It is inadmissible in a State of Law that one opposes with such violence and such acts decisions taken in a legal framework, respectful of the existing democratic rules in our country." (5) Albi, Department of Tarn, France - September 9, 2014.

(1) https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/09/1948096-sivens-violents-affrontements-conseil-general-tarn-militant-garde-vue-diaporama.html
(2) https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/tarn-la-guerilla-se-poursuit-contre-le-projet-de-barrage-de-sivens-09-09-2014-1861657_23.php
(3) https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2014/09/09/tarn-des-opposants-au-barrage-de-sivens-evacues-de-force-du-conseil-general_4484420_3244.html
(4) https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_du_projet_de_barrage_de_Sivens
(5) https://toulouse.latribune.fr/Economie/barrage-sivens-tarn-opposition-eelv-fnsea-08092014
(accessed August 9, 2020)

"Opponents of the Sivens dam project invaded the premises of the Tarn General Council in Albi on Tuesday. The police had to dislodge them and incidents broke out. "… (1) We went up to the second floor where the president's office is located and had a discussion with Stéphane Mathieu … (2) Director of Water at the Department (whose willingness to engage in dialogue and ability to talk with opponents throughout the morning, including at times when violence was unleashed, must be highlighted) …" (3)

"The deforestation of the area of the dam, whose construction would lead to the disappearance of a 13-hectare biodiversity reservoir, has given rise to sporadic clashes since the beginning of September between opponents and the police. … Thierry Carcenac, the PS president of the General Council that carries this public dam-reservoir project, was in Paris to meet with Ecology Minister Ségolène Royal." (1) Albi, Department of Tarn, France - September 9, 2014

(1) https://toulouse.latribune.fr/Economie/barrage-sivens-tarn-opposition-eelv-fnsea-08092014
(2) https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/09/1948096-sivens-violents-affrontements-conseil-general-tarn-militant-garde-vue-diaporama.html
(3) http://www.letarnlibre.com/2014/09/10/1310-violences-entre-opposants-barrage-sivens-policiers-dans-enceinte-conseil-general-mardi-matin-que-est-reellement-passe.html
(accessed August 9, 2020)

"Some 70 demonstrators opposed to the construction of the Sivens dam in the Tarn region of France forced their way through the entrance to the General Council on Tuesday morning, which was guarded by a few police officers. "… [O]ur breakfast (on the site of the dam project) is the tear gas … We ask that the violence stops and that a dialogue is opened." (1)

"One of the demonstrators was taken into custody on suspicion of 'deliberately headbutting' a police commander, according to the departmental director of public security, Pierre-Marc Panazio. The officer suffered a broken nose, a police source said. The evacuation was done in a forceful way, while the demonstrators clung to each other, sitting on the ground.

The president of the group Europe Ecologie-Les Verts on the regional council, Guillaume Cros, complained in a statement that he had been 'accosted', insulted and expelled by police forces. … (2) Shortly after I arrived, the police and the B.A.C. began to intervene. I tried to gain time and calm things down by using my position as an elected official. I was then insulted, seized by the legs and taken away from the place. All the demonstrators were then expelled. … What bothers me is that there is a sense of criminalization of political action, with intimidation. It was the first time I have been insulted by a police officer. From a human perspective this is hard to take." (3) Albi, Department of Tarn, France - 9 September 2014.

(1) https://toulouse.latribune.fr/Economie/barrage-sivens-tarn-opposition-eelv-fnsea-08092014
(2) https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/tarn-la-guerilla-se-poursuit-contre-le-projet-de-barrage-de-sivens-09-09-2014-1861657_23.php
(3) https://toulouse.latribune.fr/Politique/sivens-manifestation-violence-conseil-general-tarn-albi-guillaume-cros-09092014
(accessed 9 August 2020)

About fifty activists, opposed to the Sivens dam project, refused to leave the premises of the General Council where they had entered to find a spokesperson. They will be evacuated manu militari. Albi, Department of Tarn, France - September 9, 2014.

"The president of the Department, Thierry Carcenac, is in Paris to meet the Minister of Ecology. Capitalizing on this visit, opponents are calling for the suspension of work while Ségolène Royal announced on Monday the creation of an expert mission to evaluate the project: 'The construction site is back on track with even greater police repression. We ask Carcenac to respect justice, the experts, the peaceful opponents and therefore to suspend the work', insisted the spokesman of a collective of opponents, Ben Lefetey."*

"On the same day, the activists staged the symbolic destruction of a similar dam, built 17 years ago between Carmaux and Gaillac, but which they say has no legal existence."**

*https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/09/1948103-opposants-evacues-force-conseil-general-manifestant-garde-vue.html
**https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/tarn-la-guerilla-se-poursuit-contre-le-projet-de-barrage-de-sivens-09-09-2014-1861657_23.php
(accessed August 9, 2020)

About fifty activists, opposed to the Sivens dam project, refused to leave the office of the General Council where they had entered to ask "the president of the General Council, Thierry Carcenac, director of the project, for a moratorium. The intervention of the police and the anti-crime brigade concluded with the forceful evacuation of the demonstrators. During the evacuation, Guillaume Cros, president of the EE-LV group at the regional council, was 'accosted, insulted and expelled by the police'."*

An environmental journalist was also evaculated "manu militari". "An opponent of the dam is in custody for headbutting a police officer,"** the walls of the office were tagged, a woman fainted, etc. Albi, Department of Tarn, France, September 9, 2014.

*https://toulouse.latribune.fr/Politique/sivens-manifestation-violence-conseil-general-tarn-albi-guillaume-cros-09092014
**http://www.letarnlibre.com/2014/09/10/1310-violences-entre-opposants-barrage-sivens-policiers-dans-enceinte-conseil-general-mardi-matin-que-est-reellement-passe.html
(accessed 9 August 2020)