Police Violence in Parc Mercoeur - Call for witnesses

Friday, September 2nd, Mercoeur square (in front of Bouffay, Nantes), a dozen people perched in trees, supported by other activists on the ground, protesting against the proposed airport at Notre-Dame-des-Landes and the destruction of the Mercoeur Park, and against the generalised concreting over of living spaces and communal life (see here for more info on this action) . While the opponents prepared a picnic, sang songs and slogans, and distributed leaflets, the police used the grounds of identity checks to make particularly violent ​​arrests: batons, strangulation, use of tear gas at close range, tazer, insults, threats of assault and rape, beatings and twisting of limbs, tight handcuffing, etc.. Amongst the twenty taken to the police station, several people were accused of "rebellion" (ie to have "resisted violently" when arrested) and will go on trial (with a risk of fines and imprisonment). Some of these have made complaints against the police for assault and battery. To prepare their defense we need as much evidence as soon as possible. If you have pictures, video, or if you can testify in writing what you saw, please contact us. By email : Zad@riseup.net By mail : Les Planchettes, 44130 Notre-Dame-des-Landes By phone : 06 85 95 35 59 (Leave your contact information so we can arrange testifying together) Thank you