“Plan two days of RTT”: at the heart of civil disobedience training for the climate

“The group is large. So I would be grateful if you would confirm your attendance.” The SMS sent a few hours earlier by one of the Last Renovation members did not lie. On this Saturday morning in November, more than twenty people are waiting in the courtyard of an associative space in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, in order to attend training on “non-violent action” organized by the movement which is doing so much talking about him in recent months.

None of them really have experience in this area. A student in Nanterre, Charles* has already distributed leaflets on the climate emergency. But he hardly pushed his commitment further. For her part, Claire recently played the acrobats in order to turn off illuminated signs during the night. But it was a first. The rest of the group swears they have never been involved in civil disobedience. So why switch now?

Most of the young activists present that day first participated in online meetings hosted by Last Renovation. Seduced by the discourse of the most famous figures of the movement like Alizée, who became famous last June for being chained to the net at Roland-Garros, they decided to take the next step. But deep down, they all share the same fear: that of seeing the world go to shreds under the battering of climate change. Famines, risks of war, massive displacements of populations… “I do not see myself having children in such a world”, confirms Léa, 18 years old, four of whom have already spent in demonstrations. All of this, “without this having really changed things”.

“Establish a balance of power with the government”

The training starts in a narrow and badly heated room located under the roofs. Stan and Chiara, the facilitators, reveal the program for the day: made up of around ten workshops, it should allow you to master the basics of road blocking. A mode of action favored by Last Renovation because “it requires few volunteers, remains very publicized and allows to establish a balance of power with the government”, assures Chiara.

During the morning, the participants follow a meditation session (a little esoteric, but very useful for managing stress in action, according to Chiara), moments of confession centered on the fears and expectations of each and exchanges on the good practices to implement on bitumen. Some are obvious: do not ridicule the police, do not wear reinforced protective clothing that would go against the non-violent philosophy of action… Others depend on the context. For example, talking to an angry motorist can sometimes make the situation worse. “Some are sensitive to our comments, others are not. On the pitch, you have to adapt,” admits Chiara.

To give more weight to their words, the trainers project on the screen of a laptop computer the videos of several blockages produced by Dernier Rénovation. Young recruits discover with fascination the simplicity of this mode of action which allows only five people to neutralize a fast lane in less than a minute. “We let the two-wheelers pass, which are still very difficult to block anyway. Then, as soon as the vehicles stop, we sit down and don’t move,” Stan explains. Easier said than done. On the screen, some motorists pretend to run over the activists. The insults fuse. The bad gestures too. The uprooting of banners is systematic. “In general, there is no breakage. But sometimes, particularly angry people kick or pull the activists on the asphalt by the arms, legs or hair to try to clear a passage before the finish of the police”, comments Chiara, with supporting images. “The worst happened during the blocking of a stage of the Tour de France 2022, confides Stan. That day, the team was really manhandled by the public.

Incident simulations

So that the participants know a little better what to expect, a role play is organized. Some embody an angry motorist. Others must try to calm things down. The session takes the most pacifists the wrong way. But not enough to dampen the general good mood. On the screen, the young activists watch with amusement the techniques used by the activists to stay on the road as long as possible: playing dead, crawling as soon as the police have their backs turned… They also take advantage some confidences: sometimes, the glue used to immobilize the hands on the asphalt does not work very well. So you have to pretend!

“We are well aware that we are annoying everyone. In the United Kingdom, teams have unwittingly blocked a funeral convoy. We can also have the case of a pregnant woman in a vehicle. In certain circumstances – the passage an ambulance, for example – we lift the barrier, then we move back in. But that’s not ideal. It can create danger, even if the operation is carefully prepared in advance,” concedes Chiara.

On a flipchart, Stan details the role of each member of the operation: the “queen” who plans the operation, the “blockers” sitting on the asphalt, the “de-escalators” whose mission is to buffer with disgruntled motorists… Other people film or liaise with the media… “There are many ways to help,” he observes. But in fact, not everyone is exposed to the same prosecution.

Police custody and penalties

“Blocking the road is illegal and leads to custody. Mine lasted twenty-four hours,” says Chiara, smiling. For long minutes, the two hosts give details on the rights of detainees, the speech to be made in front of the police, the penalties incurred in the event of a repeat offense… “What we want is to go to the trial so that the case is publicized”, admits the young woman. The one following the interruption of a stage of the last Tour de France will be held in the coming weeks. An event eagerly awaited by the movement, which is constantly looking for light and new supporters.

Very frank in their interventions, Stan and Chiara recommend that future blockers think carefully about the professional consequences of their actions (for non-French people, for example, blocking a road can lead to an obligation to leave the territory) and to ask two days of RTT for each action. The first to carry out the operation, the second to rest or anticipate prolonged custody. The end of the afternoon is approaching. To “reboost” the troops, the trainers start a “dead weight” workshop: in turn, the participants train to remain as soft and as heavy as possible, while their comrades try to carry them from one end across the room amid general hilarity. Then comes the moment of the debriefing of the day during which everyone speaks.

Reinforced in their convictions, the most daring ensure that they will take action as soon as possible. Others prefer to support the movement indirectly by taking care of the videos or by integrating the “care base”, which assists arrested or injured people. A last category – the least numerous – still requires reflection before committing. Delighted to have sympathized, the participants draw their smartphones and exchange their coordinates. The trainers suggest that they integrate a loop on Telegram messaging to stay informed of the news and another on Signal in order to participate in actions. For Last Renovation, which regularly organizes this kind of day, the operation is successful: the collective has undoubtedly found additional arms for its next bursts of brilliance. Like Léa who, leaving with a smile, says to her comrades: “See you on the road again!”