“An unwelcome military excursion”, the trail organized by the Army on the Larzac unleashes the concern of a collective of farmers.

Le trail national organisé par la Légion est prévu sur le plateau du Larzac le 3 octobre. D.R

About thirty people, farmers and residents of Larzac, demonstrated this Wednesday afternoon in front of Millau town hall. They wanted to denounce "an excursion called a foot race" organized on October 3 by the Legion on a course of about forty kilometers on the plateau.

Worried. The thirty people, farmers and residents of Larzac mobilized this Wednesday afternoon in front of Millau town hall wanted to express their concern about what is considered "an unwelcome military excursion". Léon Maillé, a historical figure in the plateau struggle, said "the surprise on learning that the Legion (the regiment of the 13th DBLE installed at La Cavalerie, Editor's note)would consider an excursion called a foot race with uniformed and armed signallers, mostly on the Larzac."

"Here there was a ten-year struggle creating a duty of remembrance on these lands saved from destruction by the army ; recalls Léon Maillé. We cannot act as if this does not exist. It is free to use its 3000 hectares but, outside, especially in the most symbolic areas, its presence is inappropriate. It would never occur to anyone to go motocrossing through the trenches of Verdun… The comparison is a bit strong but the approach is similar."

“A virtually civilian trail, without armed men” according to the 13th DBLE

This Wednesday afternoon a dialogue was able to be established between the collective and the colonel of the 13th DBLE, Colonel Benjamin Brunet who had just been received by Emmanuelle Gazel, mayor of Millau. “He told us that the information we had received was not good and that the race would be a virtually civilian trail, without armed men, unrolls a member of the collective. And that the site of La Blaquière would be avoided. It seemed to us that there were a lot of changes and that the route is being changed."

The race, scheduled for October 3 over about forty kilometers between Millau, Pouncho, Massebiau, Mas de Bru, La Salvage, Saint-Martin du Larzac, Potensac and – perhaps – ? – La Blaquière, is an annual military trail whose organization is entrusted by the Army Human Resources Directorate (DRHAT) to different regiments each time. Last year, it was the 1st African Chasseurs Regiment (1RCA) that was in charge at the Canjuers camp in the Var. A little less than 200 participants had run one of the two courses (40 km for men and 28 km for women). For this edition, it is therefore the 13th DBLE of La Cavalerie which must fulfill the mission.

The Larzac collective sees it as “a maneuver outside the military camp”

“We reacted because, specifies the member of the collective, according to the prefectural document of which we have been made aware, the race was considered a military exercise. It is considered to be a maneuver outside the camp and the understanding, like the tacit rules in force for years, is that this should not happen. Colonel Brunet told us that it is not a maneuver but a race." The collective says it wants to remain attentive and asks to have the details and the timetables of the race circuit. "The colonel told us to go and get them from the prefecture."