ARTICLE - "End of la Zad? (...) "
https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/dec/28/end-of-la-zad-frances-utopian-anti-airport-community-faces-bitter-last-stand
La ZAD has a long history behind her, that begins a half century ago when the French government first project on creating a transatlantic "Great West" gateway started. The idea of constructing an airport in Notre-Dame des Landes was first approve for a cost of 580 million euros in 2008, surprisingly a non-related construction has immediately started to take place on the main part of the area.
Since then a group of campaigners has occupied the site as a protest against this airport project and as an answer to the appeal of farmers living there.In the past years the community has grown and counts nowadays up to 300 ecowarriors that gave themselves the name of zadistes since they changes the original meaning of the acronym ZAD Zone d'Aménagement Différé (zone for future development)to Zone à défendre (Zone to defend).
Since the challenge is so
important the group turned bigger and bigger which fact explains that the opinions and political preferences form a very heterogeneous group that encounters its cause around senseless project but also protests against capitalism, globalisation, inequality, intensive farming... The community and the cause fights over all against more than an irrational airport project but also reclaim a comeback to social, environmental and solidarity values that have been lost in the continuous purchase of economical growth.
The zadists form the Europe's largest political squat since they have the support of farmers and local inhabitants of the nearest little town.Even if they could be evicted at any time and more particularly since January because their cause has been partly reached with the cancellation of the project they stay still for the new battle grounds that causes some controversies in the popular opinion of the local neighbors that have shown their support for the instance but that now consider that they should pay a charter as any other citizen a lawn for occupying the area.
- They have occupied empty farms that have been abandoned by farmers that have accepted the money of the government.
This lifestyle seams to be adequate to their convictions and none of them imagine hisself living differently even with the police violence and the constant threaten of a possible eviction and and is needless say that the death of one of its member, RÉMI FRAISSE , in October 26th 2014 has outrages even more the squatters.
This way of life can be compared or linked to the myth of the noble savage since their lifestyle is founded on noble values of humanity and respect. But it also differs because of the summitment of the noble savage because even if they are pacifist and non violent their lifestyle origins is a protest and a criticism of a sick society.
ARTICLE = "END OF LA ZAD? FRANCE'S UTOPIAN ANTI AIRPORT COMMUNITY FACES BITTER LAST STAND"
This article released in December 28th 2017 in the paper "The Guardian" is entitled "End of la Zad? France's Utopian anti airport community faces bitter stand". The article is founded on the report of Kim Willsher, an award winning correspondent based in France.
The subject treated is the status report of the situation of the community created in la ZAD.
BUT WHAT IS THE ZAD?
La ZAD has a long history behind her, that begins a half century ago when the French government first project on creating a transatlantic "Great West" gateway started. The idea of constructing an airport in Notre-Dame des Landes was first approve for a cost of 580 million euros in 2008, surprisingly a non-related construction has immediately started to take place on the main part of the area. Since then a group of campaigners has occupied the site as a protest against this airport project and as an answer to the appeal of farmers living there.In the past years the community has grown and counts nowadays up to 300 ecowarriors that gave themselves the name of zadistes since they changes the original meaning of the acronym ZAD Zone d'Aménagement Différé (zone for future development)to Zone à défendre (Zone to defend).
Since the challenge is so
important the group turned bigger and bigger which fact explains that the opinions and political preferences form a very heterogeneous group that encounters its cause around senseless project but also protests against capitalism, globalisation, inequality, intensive farming... The community and the cause fights over all against more than an irrational airport project but also reclaim a comeback to social, environmental and solidarity values that have been lost in the continuous purchase of economical growth.
The zadists form the Europe's largest political squat since they have the support of farmers and local inhabitants of the nearest little town.Even if they could be evicted at any time and more particularly since January because their cause has been partly reached with the cancellation of the project they stay still for the new battle grounds that causes some controversies in the popular opinion of the local neighbors that have shown their support for the instance but that now consider that they should pay a charter as any other citizen a lawn for occupying the area.
The activist have really created a utopian lifestyle that turns out to be a successful social experiment :
- They have occupied empty farms that have been abandoned by farmers that have accepted the money of the government.
- They have changed them to produce to be more or less self-sufficient but their lifestyle is still very minimalist since they live in a complete respect of nature and animals,
- but also has a very democratic decision taking structure.
- but also has a very democratic decision taking structure.
This lifestyle seams to be adequate to their convictions and none of them imagine hisself living differently even with the police violence and the constant threaten of a possible eviction and and is needless say that the death of one of its member, RÉMI FRAISSE , in October 26th 2014 has outrages even more the squatters.This way of life can be compared or linked to the myth of the noble savage since their lifestyle is founded on noble values of humanity and respect. But it also differs because of the summitment of the noble savage because even if they are pacifist and non violent their lifestyle origins is a protest and a criticism of a sick society.
OK, Léa. This looks interesting and on topic.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I need to read your blog post through.