Yesterday (23/11/07) three Breton political activists appeared before a French court in Saint-Nazaire accused of causing vandalism of public property.
The three activists known as Hubert, Thomas and Regis were charged with defacing road signs and property displaying the name Pays de la Loire in Breton Loire-Atlantique. Their protest is part of a campaign for the re-unification of Breizh and is a reaction against the recent one million Euro public funded drive by the President of the French Pays de la Loire region, Jacques Auxiette, to further assimilate Loire-Atlantique.
Jacques Auxiette, has recently used one million Euros of public money in a publicity campaign in an attempt to say that Loire-Atlantique is in the Pays de la Loire region. Adverts have appeared throughout Loire-Atlantique in a provocative move that has led to an increase of graffiti under the slogan of 44=bzh.
Hubert, Thomas and Regis were all fined 500 Euros for damage to public property at the tribunal. Naig Le Gars, a representative of Union Démocratique Bretonne (UDB), in Conseil régional de Bretagne /Breton Regional Council attended the trial.
A petition has been created to support the Breton three and can be signed by following the link:
Breizh was split into two with its ancient capital of Nantes and the surrounding area (known as the district number 44) cut off from the rest of Breizh in 1941 and amalgamated with the Pays de la Loire region, in a deliberate attempt to weaken the Breton nation. Nantes is the largest metropolitan area in Breizh.
The Celtic League has supported the calls for the re-integration of Loire-Atlantique into the National territory of Brittany for many years and we urge all Celtic League branches and activists to support the Bretons currently facing court proceedings.
See earlier Celtic News items at:
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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
24/11/07
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