SAINTE-SOLINE, France, March 25 (Portal) – Several people were injured on Saturday after clashes between French police and protesters opposed to a large water reservoir used to irrigate farms despite a ban on gatherings in the area.
Police fired tear gas to repel some protesters, who threw firecrackers and other projectiles as they crossed fields to approach the construction area in the western rural district of Sainte-Soline. At least three police vehicles were set on fire, television footage showed.
Two protesters were seriously injured, including one who is in critical condition after suffering a head injury, and 16 police officers, the local prefecture said. One officer was evacuated by helicopter.
Thousands of protesters had gathered at the site of the proposed reservoir, where a similar protest last October also turned violent.
Emmanuelle Dubee, the prefect for the surrounding region, said about 1,000 radicals were expected among the estimated 6,000 protesters.
Around 3,200 police officers were deployed for the demonstration, said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who blamed left-wing extremist groups for the violence.
The heavy police presence included helicopters and squads driving quad bikes.
The protest against the irrigation project follows weeks of anti-pension reform demonstrations in France that have turned violent since the government passed the law without a final parliamentary vote.
The worst drought on record in France last summer has intensified the debate over water resources in the European Union’s largest agricultural sector.
Proponents say artificial reservoirs are a way to use water efficiently when needed, while critics – who call them “mega-basins” – argue they are oversized and favor large farms.
Reporting by Yves Herman and Marco Trujillo; writing by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Mike Harrison
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