France, Alternative Libertaire AL #246 - Agen: Zad sur Garonne (fr, it, pt)

 France, Alternative Libertaire AL #246 - Agen: Zad sur
Garonne (fr, it, pt) [machine translation]

Near Agen also a Zad was born in December. Against the construction of the "technopolis 
Agen Garonne" that can destroy 600 hectares of alluvial land, the project aims to develop 
peasant agriculture and convergence of struggles in the region. ---- The municipality of 
Sainte-Colombe-en-Bruilhois (10 km from Agen) decided to create a new zone of economic 
activity along the Garonne. This area will be spread over 280 hectares of agricultural 
land to establish warehouses and car parks. It is also necessary to add 300 hectares of 
infrastructure: roundabouts, ring roads, highway interchange, bridge over the Garonne, 
train station on the future Bordeaux-Toulouse. All this so threatening to destroy nearly 
600 hectares of alluvial land first class because naturally irrigated located along the 
Garonne. The project called "technopolis Agen Garonne" is supposed to end in 2020, which 
would impose the first plots are made available to interested companies from 2016.

The draft of fertile agricultural areas concreting fits right in the productivist logic 
behind all policy makers and participates in the ecological crisis. Faced with this 
prospect, resistance is organized in the department, created on unusual bases.

Occupy and cultivate collectively

First there is a farmer, Joseph Bonotto, also a leader of the fight against the proposed 
new high-speed line (LGV) Bordeaux-Toulouse, in the Very High Vigilance Bruilhois 
association and the Agen. Threatened to expropriate a portion of its agricultural land, it 
is the origin of the call for creation of the Zad lot-Garonnais: it makes available 
zadistes part of his land, located in the heart of area host the supposed "technopolis 
Garonne Agen" to occupy and cultivate collectively and a large shed for organizing daily 
life and keep all militant encounters.

The Zad was created Saturday, December 13, following a public call for the rally. A few 
dozen zadistes are already installed and is-es on the site. In connection with a Marseille 
association, peasant die, they and are carriers of a market gardening project or small 
organic farm they want, and they offer the products to school canteens and local markets.

At the founding meeting of the Zad, in addition to discussions on the modalities of 
operation of the Zad itself, and the debates around the judicial proceedings in progress, 
has expressed the desire to make this place relatively close to Agen, the engine of a 
convergence of struggles, both environmental and social, within the department. Obviously 
this will not happen without difficulties. But already the prospect of inviting 
associations struggle to hold their meetings on the place, the desire to build beside the 
open local Zad using alternative construction methods and to invite all those who are 
fighting to defend the preservation of the environment or for the defense of their social 
rights to speak on this place will allow progress in this perspective.

Jacques Dubart (AL Agen)

http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Agen-Zad-sur-Garonne