defending free and independent communities, le Z.A.D.

April 2018 – The Z.A.D. near Notre Dame des Landes in France is a self-sufficient, antiauthoritarian community for sustainable farming, off the grid living and a safe heaven for people from all over the world. Z.A.D. means ‘Zone à défendre’, a place to defend, which thousands of residents and supporters have been doing since the 1960s, when the French government planned to expropriate farms to build just another airport. The community has successfully resisted several violent attempts by police forces and built an example of society and solidarity. In February 2018, the government dropped the plan for the airport, but ecological and social activists are still fighting for their right to stay in their homes, which they have built and been living in since 2009, where they have created an equal, free spirited community beyond governmental control and limitations. During the latest eviction, the French police deployed a horrific amount of tear gas, stun grenades and other military weaponry with questionable, longterm effects on nature, farmlands and wildlife. Personally, this community has really inspired me and I am thankful for having the chance to meet people like these through my job.