The mayor of Salaunes, Damien Hoareau, intervened to block a convoy of around 100 caravans from setting up an unauthorized camp at a public picnic site in the Gironde department on Thursday, August 13.
The group of travellers arrived unannounced at around 11:00 am, attempting to occupy the Garenne picnic area located at the edge of a forest in southwestern France.
Hoareau was at the municipal town hall when he noticed one, then two caravans driving through the village center. He rushed to the nearby village hall to seal off the main access point.
About 10 vehicles out of the 100 in the group had already entered the Garenne site before local law enforcement officers assisted the mayor in closing off the grounds.
Standoff at the forest edge
A tense face-to-face negotiation between Hoareau and representatives of the travellers lasted for over an hour. Municipalities are typically notified in advance of major group movements so that formal hosting arrangements can be made, but local officials received no warning of Thursday's arrival.
Hoareau said he stood his ground against the unauthorized camp, citing severe safety concerns due to recent environmental disasters in the region. Gironde recently emerged from a devastating summer season marked by destructive wildfires that forced residents to evacuate.
The mayor pointed out that local villagers had only recently returned to their homes and were attempting to rebuild a calm lifestyle. He stressed that the community needed to regain a peaceful atmosphere after the fires, making a makeshift campsite on woodland borders unacceptable due to fire hazards and memories of past property damage.
Compromise and redirection to Lacanau
The firm stance taken by the Salaunes municipal administration was backed by the local sub-prefecture and the mayor of neighboring Lacanau, Laurent Peyrondet. Their joint refusal to permit wild camping eventually yielded a resolution after the negotiations.
Under the agreed compromise, the entire convoy agreed to leave Salaunes and was redirected to the large transit facility in Lacanau. The Lacanau transit area was exceptionally reopened to accommodate the incoming group.
French regulations for traveller transit
Salaunes is a small rural commune situated in the Gironde department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, positioned between the regional hub of Bordeaux and the Atlantic coastal town of Lacanau. The area is heavily forested with pine trees, making land along forest margins particularly sensitive to wildfire risks during dry summer periods.
In France, nomadic communities are legally categorized as travellers, or gens du voyage. Under national legislation known as the Besson Law, French municipalities and intercommunal bodies above specific population thresholds must establish designated temporary transit areas equipped with water, electricity, and sanitation. These designated sites, such as the facility in Lacanau, are designed to host large seasonal convoys and prevent illegal settlements on public lands or environmental reserves.
