Hear from a visiting French activist about the inspiring struggle to stop an airport and save farms and forests.
For over 50 years, farmers and locals have resisted the building of a new airport for the French city of Nantes (which by the way already has one). Now in these rich fields, forests and wetlands, which multinational Vinci want to cover in concrete, an experiment in reinventing everyday life in struggle is blossoming.
Radicals from around the world, local farmers and villagers, citizen groups, trade unionists and naturalists, refugees and runaways, squatters and climate justice activists and many others, are organizing to protect the 4000 acres of land against the airport and its world. Government officials have coined this place “a territory lost to the republic.” Its occupants have named it: la ZAD (Zone À Défendre), zone to defend.
2016 has been a very intense year for this struggle with a promise from the government to evict the ZAD in the autumn and to start the building work. Once again the movement has succeeded in defending the zone. 2017 is very likely to be a renewed challenge for its inhabitants and the tens of thousands fighting against the airport project and its world.
As part of their ongoing resistance some inhabitants of the ZAD will be holding more talks and discussions during their travels in 2017. Camille has been living at the ZAD for over a year and is currently visiting Melbourne for a short period so we’re taking that opportunity to hear some more about this struggle and learn from each other’s experience.
This is a Melbourne Campaigner’s Network event. MCN holds regular gatherings for campaigners, activists, and organisers to discuss ideas, exchange resources and discover new approaches to social change.
Location: 350 meeting room, 33 Lincoln Square South, Carlton
Time: 6pm til 8pm
Date: Thursday 2 February
Cost: Entry by donation, suggested donation $10 (nobody turned away for lack of funds).
RSVP: Facebook – we’ll also be sharing links and pics from La ZAD there in the lead up to the event.
Further info: Enquire via the Contact page.