Rennes (AFP)
Hundreds of people were gathered shortly after 09H00 Thursday before the administrative court of Rennes in support of the mayor of Langouet (Ille-et-Vilaine), summoned for taking a decree prohibiting the use of pesticides near homes.
"Mrs. the prefect, let our mayors protect us", posted a banner deployed by supporters to Daniel Cueff, the mayor of Langouet, a town of 602 inhabitants.
Last May, it passed a decree banning the use of plant protection products "at a distance of less than 150 meters from any cadastral parcel comprising a building used for residential or professional purposes". The decree was attacked by the prefecture of Ille-et-Vilaine.
Around 9:00, between 500 people, according to the police, and more than a thousand, according to the organizers, were already present in the administrative court to support the mayor.
Among them Valérie, 48, resident of Langouët, distributes posters "DEP 150 - distance away from pesticides". "We came by bus to support all the mayors who take this kind of initiative," she told AFP, stating that they are 15 mayors to be listed on the site "We want poppies" .
Many supporters came in response to the "Call of poppies" launched by the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo whose writing is present in Rennes Thursday morning. "STOP THE PESTICIDES! The writing of Charlie is in Rennes," announces the weekly on its Facebook page Thursday, calling readers to mobilize.
Environmental associations but also several elected officials also came to support the mayor, AFP found.
© 2019 AFP