PARIS, March 13, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Tens of thousands of people protested
across France Saturday to call for more attention to the climate crisis in
the runup to presidential polls next month.

  "Look up," read one message in giant orange letters demonstrators held up
in Paris, urging politicians to make protecting the planet a priority.

  The sign was a nod to Netflix hit "Don't Look Up", in which astronomers who
discover a comet will wipe out the earth try in vain to get politicians to
take the threat seriously.

  "When are we going to talk about it?" read another sign.

  The climate crisis took up only 1.5 percent of talking points in media
coverage of the election campaign from February 28 to March 6, a recent
survey by climate justice NGOs has found.

  Organisers said 80,000 protesters took part across the country, including
32,000 people in Paris. The interior ministry however said just around 40,000
demonstrated, of whom 11,000 in the capital.

  In the northern city of Lille, Lydie Lampin Bernand described the climate
crisis as "worse than critical.

  "I'm only 34 years old, and even I've seen the planet slapped in the face
with a shovel," she said.

  "We have to protect the land we'll leave to our children," she added, but
politicians had not so far shown they were up to tackling the challenge.