The State of Emergency in France is having many repercussions. Some public places, parks and tourist sites –are closed. Taking innocent photos can be viewed with suspicion. Bags cannot be left, lockers may not be available. Life goes on but there is an obvious tension in the air and atmosphere of heaviness, especially of course in Paris itself.
The work that has gone into building momentum for actions giving visibility and voice to the issues of climate change and the COP21 is being undermined by closures and restrictions. The activists here are determined to find innovative ways to be as present and visible as possible over the next few weeks but are now looking to their friends, family, compatriots and like-minded people all over the world to come out strongly at all the international marches.
See this press release below and if you can march please march and if you can’t please encourage others who can.
The whole world will be watching.
Press release
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Plans for mobilizations in Paris cancelled by authorities: French activists more determined than ever before to make their voices heard
PARIS — The Paris Prefecture of Police has announced that due to the tragic events that took place on November 13, the Global Climate March planned for November 29, and the December 12 mobilizations planned will not be allowed to proceed in Paris.
We regret that no alternative has been found to allow our mobilization plans to go ahead. However, we are more determined than ever to make our voices heard on climate justice and throughout both weeks.
“We realize the gravity of the situation, but now more than ever, we need to find creative ideas to call on people to unite around climate action,” Juliette Rousseau, coordinator of the Coalition Climat 21, the network of NGOS coordinating the mobilisations.
In fact, on the weekend of November 28 and 29, on the eve of COP21, millions of people throughout the world will march for climate justice. More than 2,173 events are going ahead in more than 150 countries, including 57 major marches across all continents and dozens of marches across France.
Regarding both November 29 and December 12 in Paris, the French Coalition is already at work to find creative ways to take action and ensure that the future climate agreement will not be the work only of government negotiators but of the people around the world.
The Citizens Climate Summit to be held on December 5 and 6 in Montreuil (Seine Saint-Denis) and the Action Zone Climate (ZAC), to be held from December 7 to 11 at Paris-CENTQUATRE should go forward as planned. These mobilizations will be two great opportunities to demonstrate that civil society is fighting and implementing the solutions to climate change, and determined to fight against the climate crisis.
The Paris Climate Summit is not an end in itself. As citizens of the world, we will continue to build a movement that will be strengthened after this summit and beyond to call for a just energy transformation to tackle the common threat of climate change.
@Climat21
Giselle Wilkinson 