PARIS, Oct 6, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Hundreds of climate activists barricaded
themselves into a Paris shopping centre on Saturday as security forces tried
to remove them, ahead of a planned series of protests around the world by the
Extinction Rebellion movement.
Campaigners faced off against police and some inconvenienced shoppers as
they occupied part of the Italie 2 mall in southeast Paris.
They unfurled banners with slogans like “Burn capitalism not petrol” above
restaurants and the window displays fashion boutiques.
The protest comes ahead of planned disruption to 60 cities around the world
from Monday in a fortnight of civil disobedience, from Extinction Rebellion
(XR), which is warning of an environmental “apocalypse”.
As the centre tried to close up in the evening, security forces ordered the
protesters to leave the area, activists told AFP.
According to images broadcast on social networks, police then tried to
enter the building, while protesters blocked entrances with tables and
chairs.
“I am with XR to say stop this crazy system before it destroys everything,”
one young woman told AFP, giving only her first name Lucie.
Other campaign groups also joined in with the Paris shopping centre
demonstration, including some members of the “yellow vest” anti-government
protest group.
Non-violent protests are chiefly planned by XR from Monday in Europe, North
America, Australia, but events are also set to take place in India, Buenos
Aires, Cape Town and Wellington.
Another protest was held in Berlin on Saturday, with campaigners setting up
camp near the parliament building.
“To governments of the world: we declared a climate and ecological
emergency. You did not do enough. To everybody else: rebel,” XR said on its
website ahead of its International Rebellion wave of activism.
“You can’t count on us or Greta to do this for you,” it said, referring to
teenage Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. “Look inside yourself and
rebel.”
Extinction Rebellion was established last year in Britain by academics and
has become one of the world’s fastest-growing environmental movements.
Campaigners want the government to declare a climate and ecological
emergency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025, halt biodiversity
loss and be led by new “citizens’ assemblies on climate and ecological
justice.