Charles Guyard (in Sainte-Soline), edited by Laura Laplaud 07h41, March 26, 2023, modified at 07h41, March 26, 2023

On Saturday, thousands of people mobilized against the mega-basin project planned in the Deux-Sèvres. Violent clashes opposed the police and activists with, in the end, nearly forty wounded, five of them in absolute emergency. A demonstration closely scrutinized by the League of Human Rights.

This Saturday, a new banned demonstration against the project of "basins" in Sainte-Soline in the Deux-Sèvres quickly turned into a confrontation. According to a last count provided by the Niort prosecutor's office, the emergency services took care of seven injured demonstrators, including three treated in absolute emergency and hospitalized; 28 gendarmes were injured, including two hospitalized in absolute emergency. A demonstration that turned into a confrontation of rare violence, closely scrutinized the League of Human Rights.

>> READ ALSO - Sainte-Soline: what to remember from the demonstration against the "basins" in the Deux-Sèvres

"Our mission is to observe the law enforcement system"

Helmet on his head and white chasuble on his back, Lionel notes all the actions of the police deployed in Sainte-Soline. Lionel is one of the observers of the League of Human Rights who, since 2015, travel throughout the France to analyze the action of gendarmes and police during demonstrations.

On Saturday, 18 volunteers, divided into groups of three, followed the anti-basin mobilization. "Our mission is to observe the law enforcement system. If the use of force is proportionate and what are the techniques used, "he says at the microphone of Europe 1.

Council of Europe alarmed by "excessive use of force" in France

Portable in hand, Magali films the whole scene, taking care to stay at a safe distance. "I try to observe the practice of policing. The grenades, which are fired, what is used, we saw for example armored vehicles of the gendarmerie, we document, "she says. Elements that will then feed a report. "It can be used in litigation," Lionel adds.

>> READ ALSO - Mega-basins in the Deux-Sèvres: why this project crystallizes tensions

The France has been singled out by the Council of Europe for excessive use of force in the latest protests against the pension reform. Saturday, in the Deux-Sèvres, nearly 30,000 activists were mobilized according to the organizers, 6,000 according to the prefecture, and 4,000 encirclement grenades were used.