Mobilization against the LGV Sud-Ouest project: clashes and violence targeting the forces of law and order

On Saturday October 12, a major demonstration was held south of Bordeaux, bringing together several hundred people to denounce what they consider to be a “major useless project” costing an estimated 15 billion euros. At the call of the Soulèvements de la Terre movement, between 800 and 1,000 demonstrators gathered in the small commune of Lerm-et-Musset, 75 kilometers from Bordeaux. Their aim: to protest against the construction of the high-speed line (LGV) linking Bordeaux to Toulouse and Dax.

Escalating violence: an attack on a gendarmerie van

At around 3:20 pm, tensions erupted on the bangs of the demonstration. According to reports from the scene, including from a France Bleu Gironde journalist, around 50 hooded demonstrators attacked a gendarmerie van. The vehicle, bogged down in a wooded area near the protesters’ camp, was targeted by projectiles, including tear gas. The four gendarmes in the vehicle had to be rushed out by the fire department.

The van was then damaged by demonstrators, who wrote “This is for the helicopter” on the bodywork, in reference to a night-time flyover of their camp by a Gendarmerie helicopter. Equipment was also stolen, including a riot shield.

Reaction from the authorities and a call for calm

The Prefect of Gironde, Étienne Guyot, strongly condemned these acts in a message posted on X, describing them as unacceptable behavior. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Up to then relatively peaceful, the demonstration took a more tense turn, with demonstrators then starting to build a wooden lookout in the surrounding forest.

Night-time incident: shots fired at a Gendarmerie helicopter

The previous day, a Gendarmerie helicopter had already been hit by mortar fire during a reconnaissance flight over the site. No damage was reported to the aircraft or its crew, but an investigation has been opened to clarify the circumstances of this incident.

In a context of growing tension, the prefect has banned all demonstrations in several communes of the Bordeaux metropolitan area, claiming that the aim is to avoid the creation of a zone à défendre (ZAD). Although work has already begun north of Toulouse, authorizations for rail developments south of Bordeaux are still expected by the end of November.