01:18At least six people, including five protesters and a police officer, were injured, while several were arrested as riot police dispersed a demonstration against the use of water reservoirs in large-scale agriculture in La Rochelle on Saturday.
Footage shows the law enforcement officers in full gear firing tear gas at the protesters, while several police vehicles were also deployed to the site. The protesters were seen standing behind the burning trash bins before retreating from the police confrontation.
According to local officials, around 4,000 people attended the demo which was held peacefully, until some protesters started smashing local shopfronts and setting properties on fire, which saw the police mobilisation to control the situation.
Apart from tear gas, the riot officers reportedly used water cannons to disperse the crowd. At least seven demonstrators were arrested following the clashes.
Tensions over water supplies have increased in France as authorities introduced a project to construct the so-called 'mega-basins' - plastic reservoirs that will extend over several hectares.
The move comes as the country experienced recent droughts, and some claim that creating big reservoirs to support agricultural irrigation is a wasteful technique that benefits large farms.
This is not the first episode of installing 'mega-basins' to battle the consequences of draught in France. In 2022 plastic reservoirs were installed in Sainte Soline, which caused massive opposition from environmental activists and NGOs.
Six injured, several arrested as riot police deploy tear gas to disperse reservoir demonstration in La Rochelle
At least six people, including five protesters and a police officer, were injured, while several were arrested as riot police dispersed a demonstration against the use of water reservoirs in large-scale agriculture in La Rochelle on Saturday.
Footage shows the law enforcement officers in full gear firing tear gas at the protesters, while several police vehicles were also deployed to the site. The protesters were seen standing behind the burning trash bins before retreating from the police confrontation.
According to local officials, around 4,000 people attended the demo which was held peacefully, until some protesters started smashing local shopfronts and setting properties on fire, which saw the police mobilisation to control the situation.
Apart from tear gas, the riot officers reportedly used water cannons to disperse the crowd. At least seven demonstrators were arrested following the clashes.
Tensions over water supplies have increased in France as authorities introduced a project to construct the so-called 'mega-basins' - plastic reservoirs that will extend over several hectares.
The move comes as the country experienced recent droughts, and some claim that creating big reservoirs to support agricultural irrigation is a wasteful technique that benefits large farms.
This is not the first episode of installing 'mega-basins' to battle the consequences of draught in France. In 2022 plastic reservoirs were installed in Sainte Soline, which caused massive opposition from environmental activists and NGOs.
At least six people, including five protesters and a police officer, were injured, while several were arrested as riot police dispersed a demonstration against the use of water reservoirs in large-scale agriculture in La Rochelle on Saturday.
Footage shows the law enforcement officers in full gear firing tear gas at the protesters, while several police vehicles were also deployed to the site. The protesters were seen standing behind the burning trash bins before retreating from the police confrontation.
According to local officials, around 4,000 people attended the demo which was held peacefully, until some protesters started smashing local shopfronts and setting properties on fire, which saw the police mobilisation to control the situation.
Apart from tear gas, the riot officers reportedly used water cannons to disperse the crowd. At least seven demonstrators were arrested following the clashes.
Tensions over water supplies have increased in France as authorities introduced a project to construct the so-called 'mega-basins' - plastic reservoirs that will extend over several hectares.
The move comes as the country experienced recent droughts, and some claim that creating big reservoirs to support agricultural irrigation is a wasteful technique that benefits large farms.
This is not the first episode of installing 'mega-basins' to battle the consequences of draught in France. In 2022 plastic reservoirs were installed in Sainte Soline, which caused massive opposition from environmental activists and NGOs.