Extinction Rebellion calls off non-violent protest following arrests

Extinction Rebellion calls off non violent protest following arrests

The environmental organization Extinction Rebellion has canceled its planned “Games Forbidden” demonstration in central Paris. They withdrew after an intervention by the police, which they denounced on the social network X.

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The environmental activist organisation Extinction Rebellion had called for non-violent civil disobedience action against ” the social and environmental destruction of Paris 2024 ” this Saturday, July 27. This gathering was to take place on the Pont des Arts, the place where the singer Aya Nakamura and the Republican Guard performed during the opening ceremony of the Olympic GamesThe action was to be, according to Extinction Rebellion, “ more visible than disruptive “.

But before the demonstration began, the police arrested activists. These preventive arrests were strongly denounced by Extinction Rebellion on their X account.

” It is a scandal “

There are already ten people in custody for having traveled in an area where we were planning to hold the event, but where we did not deploy. We are very eager to hear on what grounds [les arrestations ont été conduites]. It’s a scandal. We couldn’t go there, and people are still being arrested. ” protests a member of Extinction Rebellion in a video posted on the environmental movement’s account.

Since then, the Police Prefecture of Paris brought the number of arrests to 45. She explains soberly that the people ” were preparing to take action “Following these arrests, Extinction Rebellion announced the cancellation of its action, denouncing ” the repression that fell on the activists even before it began “, evoking on X ” preventive arrests of activists and journalists in prison. »

One of Extinction Rebellion’s lawyers, Alexis Baudelin, told AFP that a ” Thirty people were arrested in Paris on Saturday as a precaution, without there being any real offence to be accused of. “.

If the organizers of the Olympic Games had promised to halve the emissions of the event with actions ” unprecedented “In favor of the climate, experts note ambiguities.

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