IAATA / wednesday 13 november 2024

Translated by Act for freedom now! via: attaque

 In mid-October, 4 people were arrested in several parts of France, on the street during targeted arrests or at their home at 6 am. Each was driven to Toulouse to undergo up to 94 hours in custody as part of an investigation for “association of malefactors” related to the struggle against the A69. After being held, Louna was the only person charged and sent to pre-trial detention (PD). She is accused of having destroyed an excavator with an explosive substance and criminal conspiracy with a view to destruction with dangerous means.

Since then, she has been held in Tarbes male prison. And because she is a trans girl, she has been put in “isolation”. In concrete terms, solitary confinement means that her one and only sociability is with screws and that she can only leave her cell when all the prisoners are in theirs. It makes access to walks, showers or possible activities super difficult, if not impossible. The other day, she was forgotten in the shower for more than an hour and a half because each of her trips requires “too much aggro” from the guards.

She is subjected to the transphobia of justice at all levels, between constant misogyny and intrusive questions from a judge who asks her if she wants to do a genital operation and who is surprised by the absence of follow-up by a psychiatrist for their transition… By the way, the judge who decided on the placement at Tarbes argued that there was a special welcome for trans people over there: it’s absolutely FALSE, she’s the only trans girl and of course there’s nothing special about it, it’s just a 210% overcrowded men’s prison.

Louna was therefore placed in pre-trial detention solely on charges of property damage, private property that must visibly belong to a company working on the highway, which the state insists is the firm’s advocate. At the public hearing, she is described as an “active opponent of the A69”, on the sole basis that she was seen feeding squirrels (name given to the activists occupying the trees), to have been checked once near the zad and to have been present at a trial of militants. Indeed, a dangerous eco-terrorist …

When the PD placement was appealed, in the facts brief the judge mentioned that Louna has no telephone number in her name and that besides her place of residence she has anchor points in several corners of France. The prosecutor added that Louna is an activist and it is well known that the militants have fraudulent means of communication, to support detention. To us, it reminds us of when the justice reproached the accused of 8.12 for communicating on signal: it is very worrying that we can be reproached for not having such or communicating by messengers who do not belong to GAFAM …

This stigma is part of a context where for months the militants against the A69 are subjected to extremely brutal repression. As well as the excessive presence of cops,  whose practices have been denounced by the Toulouse Observatory of Police Practises and by a reporter of the United Nations1, this repression is also reflected in the hundreds of ongoing trials, the dozens of judicial controls (CJ) on prohibition of entry into France for militants and the firm prison sentence that has already been pronounced against two other activists. While during this time the cops who have caused squirrels to fall from trees over 6 metres high and politicians who are scheming with their private sector buddies are not concerned.

The investigation is still ongoing. 2 of the other 3 people arrested are still considered suspects and the police are most certainly continuing their dirty work to try to link other militants to this case or the many other acts of sabotage of construction machinery carried out against the A69.

If for the moment this judge refuses to release our comrade, we send to Louna all our support and much much strength, just like to all other people imprisoned in France and around the world! Support all those who are fighting against this system that crushes, incarcerates and kills!

Free Louna !
No Macadam !
Destroy Jail !

Collectif de soutien à Louna
soutien-louna@riseup.net

1 https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/politique/l-onu-sur-le-chantier-de-l-a69-le-rapporteur-demande-une-enquete-et-des-sanctions-5007630
P.-S.To support : https://opencollective.com/xr-toulouse-et-alentours/projects/objectif-80-000euros