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Thousands protest against planned motorway in southern France
- Protesters say the proposed A69 motorway will pollute, add to global warming and threaten biodiversity
- Sandrine Rousseau, a Greens MP, said the project dated back to the 1990s when the thinking was that one could only travel by cars and on motorways
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Thousands of protesters marched on Saturday in southern France to denounce plans to build a new motorway they say will pollute, add to global warming and threaten biodiversity.
The demonstration in the Tarn region against the proposed A69 motorway drew in 8,200 protesters according to organisers; 4,500 according to the local authority.
They marched under intermittent rain along the route of the proposed highway which would link the southern cities of Toulouse and Castres, carrying placards that read “Less energy, fewer cars and less tarmac” and other green messages.
Julien Bayou, a politician from the Europe Ecology Greens party (EELV), said the planned motorway was “anachronistic”.
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Sandrine Rousseau, another Greens MP, said the project dated back to the 1990s when the thinking was that one could only travel by cars and on motorways.
“There is really no need of another motorway,” she said.
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Others said the 53-km (30-mile) motorway would lead to a loss of farmland and endanger biodiversity.
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