Lentis/les Zadistes

= Introduction =

Les Zadistes, or the Zadists in English, are a radical occupational group aiming to stop various land developments primarily around France. Their name derives from the hijaking of the term "Deferred Development Zone" (French: zone d’aménagement différé, or ZAD) to “Zone to Defend” 3 (French: zone à défendre, i.e. also ZAD).

= History =

The ZAD movement gained popularity in the 2010s, but traces back to the1960s. The movement originates from grassroot populism and longstanding battle between French agriculturists, activists and authorities. The Zadists cite the decade long "Larzac Struggle" as a particular inspiration. In 1970s, thousands of heterogeneous activists gathered for a decade long resistance against a military base expansion. The struggle created a community through large scale marches, hunger strikes, festive protests and a newspaper. These concepts were later adopted by the Zadists.

First Campaign: Notre-Dame-des-Landes
The ZAD movement was born out of resistance at Notre-Dame-des-Landes. In 1960, French Government proposed an airport near the city of Nantes, which would destroy thousands of hectares of well-preserved wetlands, forests and farmland. The development was delayed due to external factors, only to be revived in 2008. In 2009, local activists and residents organized a “climate action camp” on the designated site and strategized occupation of all vacant buildings and farms. This camp grew as French people from diverse backgrounds joined the experimental protest.

The Zadists created a diverse and self-sufficient group, with its own bakeries, forges, mills, and common socialization spaces. They legitimized the idea of land occupation and an autonomous, rebellious community for future movements. In 2012, Government rebuttal came in form of operation Caesar as police forces attempted to reclaim the zone. Protestors erected barriers, pelted the officers and slowed operation to the point of suspension.

This active offense continued over the decade as the Zadists constantly called for global support, carrying out additional demonstrations. In 2014, Nantes demonstrations occurred with cost of damages exceeding a million euros. A colorful crowd blocked the city highways with tractors before rioting and attacking administrative buildings. During trial of occupant families in 2016, thousands of supporters gathered outside courts to show their support. The Zadists were given names as green jihadis or radical eco-warriors, yet the French continued responding to their calls for reinforcements and marches.

After his election, President Macron, keeping up with his environmentalist agenda, cancelled the project, awarding the ZADs with a partial victory. The Zadists did not gain autonomy over that region but inspired several other movements over the decade. .

= Other Notable Campaigns =

The Zadists have led many campaigns across the world fighting for important environmental issues, which have achieved varying levels of success.

ZAD de la ferme des Bouillons (2012-2015)
One notable campaign inspired by the ZAD movement at Notre-Dame-des-Landes was the ZAD de la ferme des Bouillons in 2012, in which young activists occupied farmland intended to be made into a shopping center. Immochan, the real estate branch of distribution giant Auchan, bought a 10 acre plot of land in Bouillons in January 2012, one of the few developable land sites in the area. In December of 2012, a small group inspired by the ZAD de Notre-Dame-des-Landes decided to occupy the land. The group started out with 6 people but grew in size to around 50, with more than 200 people in an “emergency chain” that could be mobilized by a phone call. On August 19, 2015, the group was forced off the land by the police who were carrying out a 2013 court approved evacuation. Despite the evacuation of the Zadists, Immochan gave up on the land and signed a sales agreement with SCI, another real estate company. In the sale, a provision was put in place mandating that agricultural activity is maintained at the site for at least 25 years.

ZAD du Testet (2011-2015)
In 2011, a ZAD movement was started at the Testet Dam, a proposed dam that would benefit only a small number of industrial agriculture companies and would result in a lot of environmental damage. According to experts commenting on the project, the dam made very little sense, as the dam was under funded, pushing the costs to future residents in the area. The former French Minister for Ecology, Delphine Batho, called the project “an absurd project for a minority” and was forced to leave the socialist government for her critical response to the dam. The Zadists joined the many others opposing the dam in 2011, and protested it for many years. On October 26, 2014, a 21 year old Zadist named Rémi Fraisse was killed by police while protesting the dam. This death brought even more attention to the dam, and it was eventually cancelled in 2015.

ZAD de la Colline (2020-2021)
A more recent ZAD campaign started in 2020, in Switzerland at Mormont Hill. This is a unique site for biodiversity and history, and is home to a large variety of plants and was the site of a Helvetian cult. The site was bought by Lafarge-Holcim to become a quarry and cement factory, and the Zadists began occupying it in October of 2020. The Zadists were supported by various experts and politicians, who wanted to preserve the site for its ecological and historical significance. However, the Zadists were evicted from the site on March 30, 2021 and the project is continuing after their eviction. = Environmental Impact =

Through its activism, the ZAD movement has helped halt various land development projects. Through different means, including the destruction of biodiverse lands, these projects would have a negative impact on the environment. Arguably, one of the biggest impacts that this movement had was the stopping of the construction of the airport on the commune of Notre-Dame-Des-Landes. The construction would have not only displaced inhabitants of the land, but it would have also destroyed more than 1,600 hectares of wetland and 9,000 acres of biodiverse green space. Wetland and biodiverse spaces are important since they are the habitat to a variety of animal and plant species. The loss of habitat has impacts not only on the individual species being directly affected but on the overall global ecosystem and the planet's ability to sustain life. Habitat destruction is one of the biggest threats to species of fauna and flora in the world and it is primarily caused by humans.

Another notable environmental impact of this movement was contributing to the halt of the Testet Dam project. The construction of this structure would have flooded about 12 hectares of wetland with protected species. Protected species are either threatened or endangered species that are guarded by federal law. The continued endangerment of said species may lead to extinction and further disbalance of the global ecosystem. Restoration of the wetland elsewhere was proposed to compensate for the environmental impact this construction would cause. However, several experts within state organizations have evaluated the impacts and questioned the relevancy of the proposed compensation. In addition, a pro-environment association created in 2011 by the name of Collectif Testet also claimed that the dam would perpetuate intensive agricultural practices. Intensive agricultural practices also lead to habitat destruction.

Though not all of the ZAD attempts to stop land development projects have been victorious, the successful halt of the Notre-Dame-Des-Landes and Testet Dam projects among other causes have had important environmental effects.

= Conclusion = Overall, the ZAD movement has had varying levels of success on their different endeavors. There is a lot to learn from the strategies used by the Zadists to defend their causes. Given the extreme environmental challenges facing the world today, the Zone to Defend mentality of the Zadists should be expanded to across the world. Natural areas such as forests, deserts, mountains and beyond need a passionate group of activists to fight for their continued protection. For future research, this chapter would benefit from the investigation of other movements inspired by the ZAD or that have utilized similar strategies. This could include other movements that have utilized land occupation and community building on development zones to advance their agendas in different contexts. Examples of this include the acampamentos of the Landless Workers’ Movement in Brazil. Further environmental impacts as well as the effect of these campaigns on communities around the land development projects can also be investigated. This would also include the effects that the varying levels of success of the ZAD movement has on said communities.

=References=