“No lessons to learn”: barely arrived on the A69 construction site in Tarn, Greta Thunberg criticized by elected officials

Greta Thunberg soutien les opposants au projet. MAXPPP – James Manning

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg arrived this Saturday, February 10, 2024 near the A69 construction site in Tarn. Opposed to the project, she joined environmental defense organizations for this weekend of mobilization, a presence which was not viewed favorably by everyone.  

Barely disembarking, she is already attracting the wrath of some. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg arrived near the construction site of the A69 in Tarn this Saturday, in order to support opponents of the construction project, reports La Dépêche. 

If her support is well received by the demonstrators who have been fighting against the project for several months, others criticize an intervention deemed inappropriate, arguing that the Swedish activist should not get involved in this "local controversy".

Also read: A69, Com Ouest, Lien, CoNîmes… In Occitanie as elsewhere, these activists who want the roads of tomorrow to be routed

"No lessons to receive"

In a press release, the president of the Tarn department, Christophe Ramond, addressed the activist: "Dear Greta Thunberg (… ) the A69 motorway meets a vital need for the Tarn and its inhabitants" he began, before adding that he has "no lessons to learn in terms of sustainable development." 

Elle est à Saix Greta Thunberg ! Qui aurait pu prédire? pic.twitter.com/dCAwfrpFjJ

— Cyrille (@CyrilleMasson) February 10, 2024

Tarn senator Philippe Folliot (Centrist Alliance) was less tender, criticizing in particular "that the activist Greta Thunberg&nbsp ;come by plane from Sweden to do its 'pub' and condone the thugs on the A69 construction site is pitiful". The elected official also insisted that "the Tarn we love it, we live there and we want to develop it!"

Que l’activiste @GretaThunberg vienne en avion depuis la Suède pour faire sa« pub »et cautionner les casseurs sur le chantier de l’#A69 est pitoyable: le Tarn NOUS, NOUS l’aimons, NOUS y vivons et NOUS souhaitons le développer! @AllianceC @prefet81 @Senat @ramond_christ

— Philippe Folliot (@philippefolliot) February 10, 2024

A weekend under high tension

At the end of the morning, the situation began to get tense around the Crémade ZAD, our colleagues report in a report. The gendarmes notably tried to dislodge the demonstrators who were trying to block the railway line. 

This motorway project between Castres and Toulouse is controversial due to the presence of a pre-existing national road to connect the two cities. The high-speed lane would allow motorists to save around twenty minutes of travel time, a measure applauded by several companies in the sector looking to save time. 

Also read: "A crazy project" : why environmentalists oppose the construction of the A69 motorway between Toulouse and Castres

For opponents, the construction of such a portion of highway is inappropriate. According to them, the damage to the environment is much greater than what this segment would bring to residents. In line with the demonstrations in Sainte-Soline, several groups have been trying to block the construction site for several months.