Several hundred protesters are demanding a halt to the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal.

Several hundred people gathered on Saturday in Oisy-le-Verger, in the Pas-de-Calais region, to protest the continued construction of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal. In the sweltering heat and under the watchful eye of a large police presence, the demonstrators criticized a project they consider too costly, harmful to the environment, and ill-suited to the challenges of climate change.

Launched in 2022, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal is intended to connect the Paris Basin to the major North Sea ports by 2032 via a 107-kilometer waterway. This project aims to develop river freight transport in order to reduce reliance on road transport.

Opponents denounce the project as "ecocidal".

The organizers of the mobilization, including the Méga Canal Non Merci collective, the Seine and Earth Uprisings, Extinction Rebellion and the Confédération paysanne, denounce the artificialization of soils and the significant consequences for biodiversity and water resources.

The protesters also contested the soaring cost of the project and questioned the expected benefits of shifting freight transport from road to waterway. Several banners called for an end to the overdevelopment and for the preservation of water resources.

Left-wing elected officials are calling for a moratorium

Present at the site, Stéphanie Bocquet, regional secretary of the Greens in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, stated that a moratorium was necessary to reassess the project. According to her, the promised benefits for transportation remain insufficiently demonstrated.

MP Aurélien Le Coq of La France insoumise denounced a project that primarily benefits the interests of agribusiness, while his colleague Anne Stambach-Terrenoir judged that this infrastructure no longer addresses the challenges of global warming and sustainable resource management.

Construction project to continue despite protests

The demonstration took place under the watchful eye of nearly 900 law enforcement officers. The initial route, which was to run closer to the construction site, was rejected before a new route was finally approved by the authorities.

The Seine-Nord Europe Canal Company reiterates that the project is the result of several decades of consultation and affirms its continued dialogue with the various stakeholders. Alongside the demonstration, an activist village bringing together associations and collectives is being organized until Sunday in the North, featuring debates, workshops, and concerts focused on environmental issues and the future of the project.