Hundreds Protest Against Canal Seine-Nord Europe Project Over Environmental and Economic Concerns

On October 11, 2025, between 1,000 and 2,000 protesters gathered in Thourotte to demonstrate against the Canal Seine-Nord Europe project. This large-scale infrastructure plan, supported by regional president Xavier Bertrand, involves building a 107-kilometer-long and 54-meter-wide canal from Compiègne to Aubencheul-au-Bac, intended for completion by 2032. The canal aims to facilitate navigation for large barges, improving transport connections between Paris and major European ports such as Antwerp and Rotterdam.

Ecological groups including Soulèvements de la Terre, Extinction Rebellion, and Méga canal non merci led the protest, which was marked as the first national day of action against the project. Protesters criticized the project’s environmental impact, calling it an "ecocidal absurdity" due to the massive excavation and the need for four ports and multiple locks. Demonstrators highlighted the prioritization of canal funding—8 billion euros—over public services, notably health care, displaying banners saying "8 billion for the canal, nothing for the hospital." A segment of protesters even entered the Oise lateral canal, facing tear gas from police.

Critics argue that beyond environmental issues, the canal will primarily benefit agro-industry and construction sector exports rather than public interest. Despite this opposition, the Société Canal Seine-Nord Europe (SCNE) continues preparatory work initiated in 2022 to realize this "water highway" project by 2032, boosting regional and European freight navigation.