France, Toulouse : perturbation of the 2nd public survey about the construction of a new jail in Muret

Originally published on the local anti athoritarian website :
https://iaata.info/Perturbation-de-la-2eme-enquete-publique-sur-la-construction-d-une-nouvelle-5484.html

8 octobre 2022

This monday 3 october at 6pm, we gathered at 10 people to go to charles de gaulle high school of Muret where a meeting was held in the frame of a public survey which takes place from the 15 september to the 14 october 2022.

Beginning 2021, a first public survey already occured about the 615 new jail places construction project for 2027.
Despite numerous oppositions gathered and an unfavourable opinion given by the investigation commissary, the jail’s public utility was anyway declared during summer 2021. All of this was only advisory, with the initiative of a 15 000 jail places plan, it’s the state which decide in last resort and do as it wants. Despite everything, a second public survey is actually occuring and got for goal to obtain a derogation for the destruction of protected species caused by the project.

It’s in this frame that the 3rd october meeting was held between
commanditaries of the project and muret inhabitants.

Arriving to the high school, the atmosphere is there : serigraphied
banner against the 3rd jail of muret hanged on the fence, opposition
sign about the protected species threaten by the project, and 2
gendarmes (military cops) waiting like stakes.

The path to go to the high school is marked by 2 civil cops and bags are searched at the entrance (we will learn later that 3 gendarme vans were hidden behind the building). “They arrive” say one of them, putting on his gloves, at the moment we entered inside. In the room, a stage with the different parts of the project, and in the public, around 30 people, including the mayor of muret (who recently found a relative opposition to the project in himself because he would prefer a 200 places jail !), diverse opponents and a journalist camera.

An opposition exists since some months on nimby arguments (“no jail in my home, do it somewhere else”), against nuisances (noises, delinquency, traffic jam…), ecological arguments of environment preservation, or in favor of jail alternative development. We’re not interested in those arguments because they don’t question the horror this system is representing, which needs jails and justice to function. For the very same reason, we don’t agree with the different ways to oppose the project.
This is why we didn’t want to participate to this meeting but
perturbating it.

The public meeting starts. After the the different people on the stage presentation, it’s the turn of Jean pierre Wolff, survey commissary of CNDP, to speak. From the beginning, we applaud him strongly, which has for effect to shut his mouth. Impossible for him to speak again, one person denounce the trick which is this public survey whereas a call for offers was already launched concerning the project and that “all jails are not to build, but to destroy”. At the opposite side of the room, a  flyer is read with loud voice, whereas other distribute it in the public : “AGAINS A NEW JAIL IN MURET ! Why we are perturbating this public survey.

The public survey occuring is a masquerade : whatever goes out of this meeting, the state will pass through an unfavourable opinion as it already did with the past year public utility first declaration opinion.
By the way, the state launched an offer call for the construction :
everything is already decided. So we will not make “observations” or
“propositions” for this project, because we don’t want to live in a jail
world.

Useless to say this project, which plan a new jail next to the two
already existing, will be harmful to grasshoppers and other protected species, but moreover to all the human beings who will be locked in,
might it be 6OO or 200 people (as proposed by muret mayor).

More broadly, the state plan the creation of 15 000 jail places for 2027 and is proud of working for the well being and dignity of prisoners.
Overcrowding in jails was never solved by successive jail construction plans in France those past 50 years..
For exemple, Seysses jail was already overcrowded some months after its start, and obviously it is still the same today.

Jail is a monster to destroy, not to build. Might one thinks to their
close ones or prisoners, it’s the anguish and contempt which permeates its walls and control the daily life of a huge amount of people.

Between parlors always too short, money to spend for mandates, pure and mere exploitation for a misery salary inside, aftermaths on different scales caused by confinement (hearing, vue…).
It’s also a juicy business for numerous companies which participates to their construction or work later inside into cleaning, food or in the workshops.

But jail, it’s not only 4 walls on a precise ground.
It’s the consequence of a generelised control society, where cameras and bcops grid towns and country sides.
It’s the threat above every head who doesn’t want or cannot live by a
legality dictated by the ambient morality interests, by wealth and
private property defence.
It’s the unchained capitalism tool which needs to confine to continue to exist.

As long there will be jails, there will be freedom for no one !

AGAINST ALL JAILS !”

Then slogans are thrown : “brick by brick and walls by walls, we will
destroy all your jails”, applauded by some other persons.
Quickly, one of the organisator from the stage regrets through the micro that we don’t express our contestation through the “debate” and a gendarme calls for calm through the shootings and noises. Some seconds later, around 10 of his colleagues enter the room to evict us, so can pursue the presentation of this disgusting project, where only one type of opposition is tolerated.

Let’s be everywhere they are and let’s perturbate everything which is possible to perturbate ! Because grasshoppers are nice, but liberty is
better !*

*translator note : liberty for all species

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