In the French coastal city of La Rochelle, protests against the construction of water basins turned into looting and clashes with police. Five protesters and a police officer were injured.

About 4,000 people demonstrated in the city against the construction of water basins that can only be used by large agricultural companies. The protesters believe that the scarce water in the region is poorly distributed in this way.

The protesters gathered at a subsidiary of Soufflet Negussi, a major grain trading company. That in turn is owned by the InVivo cooperative, an agricultural giant with $12 billion in worldwide sales.

The protests started peacefully, but when the police wanted to end the demonstration, unrest broke out. The police used water cannons and fired tear gas.

Then the looters hit La Rochelle. Shopkeepers were threatened and robbed. Bus and car shelters were destroyed. Police arrested seven people.

According to the Interior Minister, this was a group of left-wing extremists. “It is difficult to see a connection with environmental protection.” Gerald Darmanin said on X.

This is not the first time that protests have taken place in the region against the construction of water basins. Last year, a demonstration in Saint-Soulin turned violent.