Students and high school students from Youth for Climate France demonstrate in Lyon, September 21, 2019. -
KONRAD K./SIPA
The global youth movement on strike for the climate and the living, "Fridays for Future", initiated by Greta Thunberg, calls for new days of mobilization this Friday and Saturday.
In France, this will take the form of a series of actions organized by the local committees of Youth For Climate France and referenced online.
"All are maintained," said Noah, a member of the movement on Thursday, despite the strengthening of health measures.
Youth For Climate France says it anticipated the coup by broadening the range of actions to better take into account social distancing measures.
There are thus plans for "bicycle tours" or "sign events".
Explanations.
The last major day of mobilization dates back to March 13 ... "And again, the confinement had been announced the day before by the government, so that many local committees had decided to cancel their demonstrations", says Erwan, student from Lyon, member of Youth for Climate France.
The rest, we know it: travel restrictions until May 11, a truncated school year, then summer vacation.
But with the return to school, Youth for Climate France is back and calls for a new major mobilization, this Friday and Saturday.
The initiative is not only French, but carried by Fridays for Future, the global movement of young people on strike for the climate and the living, initiated by the Swedish Greta Thunberg, and of which Youth for Climate France is the French branch.
Global mobilization
The program is reminiscent of the days that Youth For Climate France organized in 2019. Middle school, high school and college students are called upon to “go on a school strike” on Friday afternoon to join demonstrations organized by the local committees of Youth for Climate France.
As for Saturday, it will be interspersed with scattered actions, in particular civil disobedience, "often organized in collaboration with other movements, such as Extinction Rebellion", explains Erwan.
Youth for Climate France targets in particular what the movement calls “large unnecessary and imposed projects”.
But also, this time, Seveso installations, while this Saturday marks the first anniversary of the Lubrizol fire in Rouen.
On an interactive map, Youth For Climate France lists, this Thursday, twenty-three actions in metropolitan France, mainly on this day of Friday.
"For the moment, all are maintained", assures Noé, in the communication team of the movement, by reacting to the reinforcement of the sanitary measures announced Wednesday evening by Olivier Véran.
With a question mark on Marseille, placed in the maximum alert zone by the Minister of Health.
“We are awaiting feedback from the local Youth Climate France committee on how it is going to be organized,” continues Noé.
New forms of mobilization to adapt to the health crisis
At Youth For Climate France, we explain in any case having prepared for the fact of having to organize actions in a difficult health context.
"We are moving away from the big marches that we were able to organize at our beginnings, not very conducive to respecting social distancing measures, to develop other forms of mobilization", continues Noé.
Like the “sign mobilization” organized in Clermont-Ferrand and “which will consist in covering a town square with signs representing the world in which we would like to live later,” resumed Noé.
A similar action had already been organized by Youth Climate France at the beginning of the summer in support of the Citizen's Convention for the climate, and others before still in Berlin or Brussels.
"
Another example: "cycling, organized this Friday in Dijon by the local branch of Youth For Climate France".
The concept ?
"The demonstrators no longer wander on foot, but on a bicycle, which makes it easier to respect the rules of social distancing," said Erwan.
A similar action would also be in preparation in Caen, organized jointly by Youth for Climate France and Uni.es pour le climat, says Noé.
In Paris, towards occupying a place from Saturday
And in Paris?
Youth for climate's interactive map does not display any events in the capital for Friday.
On Saturday, however, Youth for Climate calls for occupying a large Parisian square and its adjacent streets.
“Like what was done in Bern, Switzerland this week,” Erwan illustrates.
Climate activists occupied Place Fédérale - bordered by the Federal Palace and the Swiss National Bank - for two days before being evacuated.
The place in Paris on Saturday is being kept secret.
"We will distribute masks to those who do not have them and there will be hydroalcoholic gel", assures Noé only.
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