A French court has given the green light to officials to tear down illegal squats on land slated to become an airport near Nantes in western France, reports RFI.
Activists, who have been building shacks on the land since last month, say Tuesday's court order means nothing.
Opponents of the airport project, which is supported by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, a previous mayor of Nantes, say it will damage the biodiversity of the surrounding countryside.
Along with farmers who have been evicted from their homes in the area, many squatters claim the temporary buildings are their primary residences.
Anti-airport activist Isabelle Michel told RFI that an eviction order is still being challenged in court, so police cannot legally start tearing down the structures.
The court, in the Brittany town of Saint Nazaire, ruled against an attempt to make farmers who have been evicted pay for the destruction of structures built on the land since the protests started.
Read more of this report from RFI.
See also articles from Mediapart on the airport row here and here.