"Take back public space": a few hundred activists of Extinction Rebellion (XR) blocked Monday a bridge over the Seine and a Parisian wharf, the first day of a series of global actions of this movement that calls for acts against global warming.
For this operation dubbed "Occupation for the Continuation of the World", the demonstrators deployed around 15:30 straw bales across the quay of the Mégisserie and then sat on the road, also blocking the Place du Châtelet and the bridge at the Change which leads to Ile de la Cité, near the police headquarters.
"Here we rebel"
"Here we rebel", "Here we play", could we read on banners unrolled on the deck, where also enthroned a blue boat on wheels with sails stamped with the recognizable logo of XR, a stylized hourglass inside. 'a circle. "We have to get up all over the world to change things," Aurora, 27, told AFP. "Our governments are not doing anything, or they are lying," she added.
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"Our economic system exploits the living, crushes the minorities and carries with it our common future.In the face of this disaster, it is our duty to resist," insists the movement on his Twitter account that calls his supporters to join them in Châtelet .
⚡️Action in progress on #Paris for the October International Rebellion
It is the OCCUPATION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD
And it's at "PLACE DU CHÂTELET"
Join us now! # InternationalRebellion #CloseRebellion #occupationparis #features # RebelForLife
& ✊ pic.twitter.com/o8qberP92F
The "guardian angels", in orange jacket of the movement and responsible for maintaining calm, took place between the protesters sitting on the ground and the police blocking access to the street of the courthouse. "Rebels" embarked on a boat bristling flag movement, green and red, sail them on the Seine between Châtelet and the Eiffel Tower.
Civil disobedience as ideology
Preparing to spend the night there, XR activists, who advocate civil disobedience and nonviolence, began installing tents and dry toilets. And a circle of straw boots to hold a "citizen assembly".
On Saturday evening, the authorities also tried to dislodge the activists of Extinction Rebellion who had invested several hours ago the shopping mall Italy 2, in "preview" of the world movement. They had finally given up, before the protesters also leave the place Sunday at dawn after 17 hours of occupation.
Extinction Rebellion, a young movement born a year ago in the United Kingdom, plans daily punch action starting Monday in 60 cities around the world, including London where activists want to block the city center for two weeks.