TOPSHOT - French gendarmes take part in an operation of the french Gendarmerie to clear the site known as the Le Verger's ZAD (Zone to defend) in Verfeil, southwestern France, on September 19, 2024. Operations to evacuate a property that has become the last stronghold of opponents of the Toulouse-Castres motorway in Verfeil (Haute-Garonne) resumed early on the afternoon of September 17, 2024, as observed by an AFP journalist. The gate to this "Zone a defendre" (ZAD) set up in the "Verger" area, around 25 km from Toulouse, right on the route of the disputed motorway, was ripped open by a digger that had been used the previous day to remove many of the site's trees. Once access was gained, several dozen gendarmes in riot gear entered the site, followed by a crane with a cherry picker. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)