"Anti-basins": the fears of the intelligence services

William Molinié 06:17, March 25, 2023

Strong tensions are expected in the Deux-Sèvres in Saintes-Soline this Saturday. Radical ecology movements are calling for a moratorium on water reservoirs. This banned demonstration is expected to bring together 10,000 people in a boiling social context. This mobilization is described as "historic" by the organizers. 3,200 police and gendarmes are mobilized throughout the weekend.

>> READ ALSO - Anti-basin demonstration: these "people are totally determined, even if it means dying"

1,000 radical elements on the ground

More than 1,000 radical elements have already converged on the spot. In a note consulted by Europe 1, territorial intelligence qualifies this gathering as "high risk".

Several offensive actions of the demonstrators have already been foiled. Machetes, swords, pyrotechnic devices were seized Friday from protesters who converged on the assembly points.

>> READ ALSO - Deux-Sèvres: more than 3,000 gendarmes and police mobilized to defend the "basins"

Intelligence fears sabotage operations carried out by militant groups on one or more water reserves. Businesses, including the 450 farmers associated with the mega-basin project, are also in the crosshairs.

1,500 gendarmes had been mobilized

These radical environmental activists plan to use dispersal tactics to weaken the security forces. Their modus operandi is to attack police and gendarmes in small, highly mobile groups. They use encrypted digital messaging to evade service surveillance.

These "anti-basin" demonstrators had already gathered in Sainte-Soline at the end of October. 1,500 gendarmes had been mobilized and 61 of them had been wounded.