The Roc'h Trédudon attack was the destruction of the Roc'h Trédudon transmitter in Plounéour-Ménez, Finistère, by a series of bombs on the night of 13 to 14 February 1974. It was claimed by the Breton independence organization Breton Liberation Front (FLB), and deprived western Brittany of television for several weeks. It took place against a backdrop of the revival of the Breton nationalist movement, and sparked off fierce reactions and controversy as to the true identity of the perpetrators.
Context
In 1974, Breton nationalism had enjoyed a spectacular revival in recent years. Artists such as Alan Stivell, Tri Yann and Glenmor, major social movements such as the Joint Français strike in 1972, and the creation of a large number of Breton organizations and parties led to a genuine revival of a sense of regional identity in Brittany. The Breton Liberation Front entered its most active period, which lasted until 1979, although it was officially dissolved on 30 January 1974 by the Minister of the Interior, Raymond Marcellin. The Roc'h Trédudon attack took place against a backdrop of renewed violence in Brittany, which had faded somewhat since 1973, when the FLB took no action. On the contrary, it was very active from 1966 to 1972, with more than twenty-seven attacks or attempted attacks claimed.
For Breton activists, attacking the Roc'h Trédudon transmitter was a symbol of great importance, for several reasons. Firstly, it was a response to the dissolution of the FLB and the repression of Breton autonomists by the French state. Secondly, at the same time, the nationalists wanted to "salute in their own way" the visit of Health Minister Michel Poniatowski to Quimper in February 1974, and thus give their demands international resonance. Finally, the attack was intended as a direct attack on ORTF, which shortly before had censored Charles Le Gall, the only Breton-language news presenter, for announcing the creation of support committees for Breton prisoners.
The attack
On the night of 13 to 14 February 1974, the Breton independence commando placed a set of bombs - "four three-kilo F.15 gum charges, two per base, connected by electric detonators, in double ignition and additional connection by detonating cord" - on the pylons of the Roc'h Trédudon transmitter. The terrain and wind direction were studied beforehand to ensure that the antenna would not crash into the buildings occupied by the janitors, but would instead hit the technical room. To ensure the success of their operation, the activists first tested their equipment on two other pylons in the Côtes-d'Armor region: on Île Losquet near Pleumeur-Bodou on 1 February 1974, and on Roc'h ar Lin in Saint-Mayeux a few days earlier, both of which were claimed on 15 February 1974.
Despite the presence of military personnel on manoeuvres around the Roc'h Trédudon station during the night, two of the activists managed to place their bombs on the pylon bases. The whole thing exploded at around 1 a.m.: two blasts brought down the pylons supporting the antenna. The janitor, startled awake by the explosions, immediately called the authorities, who soon found a plywood plate marked with the words "FLB ARB" and "Evit ar Brezhoneg" (Breton for "for the Breton language"). The attack was also claimed a few days later by Yann Goulet, an expatriate Breton nationalist in Ireland, who claimed to be the leader of the FLB at the time.
Damage and consequences
There were no direct victims. However, the center's director, Pierre Péron, died that afternoon of cardiac arrest on discovering the extent of the damage. According to one of Roc'h Trédudon's managers, the human toll could have been much higher: the explosion could have claimed the lives of the technicians as well as the janitor and his family, who were present that night. As for the material toll, it was significant: with the exception of the first sixty meters, the antenna, which measured two hundred and twenty-two meters at the time, was completely down, and part of it collapsed onto the ORTF and PTT buildings, close to the antenna at the time. A large part of Brittany was deprived of television for over a month. Repairs were quickly undertaken, but in view of the extent of the damage, they took a long time, and temporary relay transmitters had to be set up in Quimper and Plougastel-Daoulas. The total cost of repairs was estimated at the time at 5 million francs.