Larzac

   

This article is about the French plateau; Larzac is also a commune in Dordogne.

Larzac is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France. It is an agricultural area, where sheep are bred to produce milk for Roquefort cheese.

History

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In October 1970, National Defense Minister Michel Debré decided, without consulting the local population, to turn a military camp of 30 km² outside the village of La Cavalerie in Aveyron into a much larger (170 km²) and more strategic military base. Local farmers objected and decided to fight against the project, through actions such as occupation of empty farms purchased by the Army in anticipation of the expansion. José Bové moved there during this period in support of the protests. Following ten years of nonviolent resistance, the plan was cancelled by president François Mitterrand after his election in 1981.

Because of its history [1] (http://www.monde-solidaire.org/larzac-2003/uk/) it was chosen as the site of a massive meeting against the World Trade Organization which took place in August 2003.

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