2023-09-24 13:40:26
He had been on hunger strike for 24 days to protest against the A69 motorway project between Toulouse and Castres. Environmental activist Thomas Brail was dislodged this Sunday at dawn from the plane tree he had occupied for several days, just opposite the Ministry of Ecological Transition, in Paris.
“Clément Beaune’s office gave the order to intervene this morning. Thomas was forcibly evacuated around 7 a.m. when the CRS blocked the street and used a fire ladder,” the National Tree Surveillance Group (GNSA) tells us.
The CRS in climbing harnesses evacuated the activists early Sunday morning.
In a video broadcast live on Instagram by the Vakita media, we see the Tarn arborist being taken care of by the police and firefighters, weakened. Other videos of his evacuation were shared on social networks, in particular by Chloé Sagaspe, councilor of Paris, in the 11th arrondissement, for the Ecological Transition and the Climate Plan.
Evacuation of @BrailThomas in the early morning by the police. Rather than acting to protect the trees and stop the waste of#A69the government acts in the early morning to hide the struggle of nature defenders. pic.twitter.com/TbLKSqZDfH
— Sagaspe Chloé (@Csagaspe) September 24, 2023
Tired after losing a dozen kilos, Thomas Brail was taken to a Parisian hospital, “but we do not know which one, nor under what status,” denounces the GNSA, of which he is the founder. The climber who accompanied him, Ubac, was taken into custody at the 7th arrondissement police station. The fate of Jibon, the third perched militant, is unknown at this time.
VIDEO. “An act of despair”: an environmental activist on hunger strike in a plane tree in Paris
Tuesday, Thomas Brail came down from the plane tree to meet the Minister Delegate in charge of Transport, Clément Beaune, as he requested. But after an interview lasting almost an hour in the minister’s office where everyone stuck to their positions, he decided to continue his hunger strike and climb the tree again. Tomorrow, Monday September 25, Thomas Brail should have started a thirst strike, the GNSA had warned on social networks.
“A major danger for his health and his life”
“The prolonged hunger strike situation as well as the announcement of an imminent thirst strike posed a major danger to the health and even life of Mr. Brail. It is our responsibility, like all those around us, to provide assistance to a person in danger and protect their life,” explained the Ministry of Transport in a press release this Sunday midday.
“This protective intervention will not prevent a dialogue from continuing, while respecting fundamental democratic decisions and principles and the rule of law. The minister is attached to it and has always proposed and maintained it, in conjunction with local elected officials involved in the project,” he added, specifying that “the minister spoke again on this subject with Carole Delga , president of the Occitanie regional council, who recalled and defended these same principles.
#A69 #environmental #activist #Thomas #Brail #dislodged #tree #occupying #police