French security forces used tear gas and water cannon on Saturday after an unauthorised gathering of opponents to the A69 Toulouse–Castres motorway spilled out of a private estate in Maurens-Scopont, Tarn. Dubbed a “Turboteuf”, the event drew roughly 1,000 people — fewer than the 2,000 originally announced — despite a prefectural ban motivated by fears of violence. Prefect Laurent Buchaillat said 55 items capable of serving as weapons, including catapults, hatches and boules de pétanque, were confiscated during checks. About 1,500 gendarmes ring-fenced the area. The Interior Ministry added that around 50 attendees were listed in the national security database of radicalised individuals. Stones were thrown at officers, who responded with tear-gas volleys; brief fires were reported before calm returned in the early evening. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau accused radical activists of having “basculé dans la sédition et l’ultra-violence,” while President Emmanuel Macron voiced support for the forces of order, saying “force must remain with the law.” The confrontation marks the fourth large-scale weekend of action against the 53-kilometre motorway, whose works began in 2023, were halted by a court in February and partially resumed in mid-June. A ruling on the project’s environmental authorisation is expected later this year, but opponents vow to keep obstructing construction.