France Puts 24 Climate Activists Under House Arrest Ahead of COP21
'A gross abuse of power that risks turning the summit into a farce'
French police have placed 24 activists under 'house arrest' ahead of the major UN climate warming COP21 talks starting near Paris next week.
The French interior ministry said Friday the government was trying to prevent the activists from demonstrating ahead of the COP21 conference, but their lawyers and Amnesty International accused the government of abusing the 'state of emergency' put into effect after the Paris attacks.
Three of those arrested are accused of belonging to the "radical opposition movement", according to Agence France Presse.
"They are banned from leaving their home town in western France without special police permission, they must report to a local police station three times a day and remain at their homes between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am until December 12, the day after the talks are due to end."
The interior ministry says the three individuals have caused "serious disturbances to public order" in the past.
Author and climate change activist, Naomi Klein, accused the French authorities of "a gross abuse of power that risks turning the summit into a farce".
'Climate summits are not photo opportunities to boost the popularity of politicians. Given the stakes of the climate crisis, they are by their nature highly contested. That is democracy, messy as it may be.'
- Naomi Klein "Climate summits are not photo opportunities to boost the popularity of politicians. Given the stakes of the climate crisis, they are by their nature highly contested. That is democracy, messy as it may be. The French government, under cover of anti-terrorism laws, seems to be trying to avoid this, shamefully banning peaceful demonstrations and using emergency powers to pre-emptively detain key activists," Klein told the Guardian.
The activists' lawyer, Marie Dose, said the state of emergency was being "misused" in their cases. "This is an attack on the right to demonstrate," she said.
In the wake of the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people on November 13, the government banned all public demonstrations linked to COP21.
Stephan Oberreit, head of Amnesty International France, said the measures taken by the government were "disproportionate".
"The systematic banning of all meetings linked to COP21 deprives critical voices of an essential outlet to express themselves," he said in a statement. "Amnesty International believes that banning any gatherings related to the COP21 of Nov. 28 to 30, appears to be a disproportionate interference with the right to demonstrate on this subject, since the date of the rallies is closely related to the holding of the COP21."
France's Human Rights League (LDH) on Thursday condemned the decision to place Joel Domenjoud, a member of the legal team for the coalition of protest groups, under house arrest.
Domenjoud, a legal activist, told the Guardian that he had been served with a restraining order wrongly describing him as a "principal leader of the ultra-left movement" just hours after a judge refused to hear an appeal against the ban on the climate demo that he had petitioned for.
"I wasn't there when they came to my house but my neighbor called me to say 'What's wrong? The stairs are full of cops from the first to the third floor!'" he said.
Domenjoud says he was then followed by several undercover officers, before returning home, where he was served with the restraining notice.
"I feel angry about it because I think they made a big mistake," Domenjoud added. "They weren't looking for people like us activists - or if they were, it shows that they can target people for no reason at all and our civil liberties are in danger."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
French police have placed 24 activists under 'house arrest' ahead of the major UN climate warming COP21 talks starting near Paris next week.
The French interior ministry said Friday the government was trying to prevent the activists from demonstrating ahead of the COP21 conference, but their lawyers and Amnesty International accused the government of abusing the 'state of emergency' put into effect after the Paris attacks.
Three of those arrested are accused of belonging to the "radical opposition movement", according to Agence France Presse.
"They are banned from leaving their home town in western France without special police permission, they must report to a local police station three times a day and remain at their homes between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am until December 12, the day after the talks are due to end."
The interior ministry says the three individuals have caused "serious disturbances to public order" in the past.
Author and climate change activist, Naomi Klein, accused the French authorities of "a gross abuse of power that risks turning the summit into a farce".
'Climate summits are not photo opportunities to boost the popularity of politicians. Given the stakes of the climate crisis, they are by their nature highly contested. That is democracy, messy as it may be.'
- Naomi Klein "Climate summits are not photo opportunities to boost the popularity of politicians. Given the stakes of the climate crisis, they are by their nature highly contested. That is democracy, messy as it may be. The French government, under cover of anti-terrorism laws, seems to be trying to avoid this, shamefully banning peaceful demonstrations and using emergency powers to pre-emptively detain key activists," Klein told the Guardian.
The activists' lawyer, Marie Dose, said the state of emergency was being "misused" in their cases. "This is an attack on the right to demonstrate," she said.
In the wake of the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people on November 13, the government banned all public demonstrations linked to COP21.
Stephan Oberreit, head of Amnesty International France, said the measures taken by the government were "disproportionate".
"The systematic banning of all meetings linked to COP21 deprives critical voices of an essential outlet to express themselves," he said in a statement. "Amnesty International believes that banning any gatherings related to the COP21 of Nov. 28 to 30, appears to be a disproportionate interference with the right to demonstrate on this subject, since the date of the rallies is closely related to the holding of the COP21."
France's Human Rights League (LDH) on Thursday condemned the decision to place Joel Domenjoud, a member of the legal team for the coalition of protest groups, under house arrest.
Domenjoud, a legal activist, told the Guardian that he had been served with a restraining order wrongly describing him as a "principal leader of the ultra-left movement" just hours after a judge refused to hear an appeal against the ban on the climate demo that he had petitioned for.
"I wasn't there when they came to my house but my neighbor called me to say 'What's wrong? The stairs are full of cops from the first to the third floor!'" he said.
Domenjoud says he was then followed by several undercover officers, before returning home, where he was served with the restraining notice.
"I feel angry about it because I think they made a big mistake," Domenjoud added. "They weren't looking for people like us activists - or if they were, it shows that they can target people for no reason at all and our civil liberties are in danger."
French police have placed 24 activists under 'house arrest' ahead of the major UN climate warming COP21 talks starting near Paris next week.
The French interior ministry said Friday the government was trying to prevent the activists from demonstrating ahead of the COP21 conference, but their lawyers and Amnesty International accused the government of abusing the 'state of emergency' put into effect after the Paris attacks.
Three of those arrested are accused of belonging to the "radical opposition movement", according to Agence France Presse.
"They are banned from leaving their home town in western France without special police permission, they must report to a local police station three times a day and remain at their homes between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am until December 12, the day after the talks are due to end."
The interior ministry says the three individuals have caused "serious disturbances to public order" in the past.
Author and climate change activist, Naomi Klein, accused the French authorities of "a gross abuse of power that risks turning the summit into a farce".
'Climate summits are not photo opportunities to boost the popularity of politicians. Given the stakes of the climate crisis, they are by their nature highly contested. That is democracy, messy as it may be.'
- Naomi Klein "Climate summits are not photo opportunities to boost the popularity of politicians. Given the stakes of the climate crisis, they are by their nature highly contested. That is democracy, messy as it may be. The French government, under cover of anti-terrorism laws, seems to be trying to avoid this, shamefully banning peaceful demonstrations and using emergency powers to pre-emptively detain key activists," Klein told the Guardian.
The activists' lawyer, Marie Dose, said the state of emergency was being "misused" in their cases. "This is an attack on the right to demonstrate," she said.
In the wake of the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people on November 13, the government banned all public demonstrations linked to COP21.
Stephan Oberreit, head of Amnesty International France, said the measures taken by the government were "disproportionate".
"The systematic banning of all meetings linked to COP21 deprives critical voices of an essential outlet to express themselves," he said in a statement. "Amnesty International believes that banning any gatherings related to the COP21 of Nov. 28 to 30, appears to be a disproportionate interference with the right to demonstrate on this subject, since the date of the rallies is closely related to the holding of the COP21."
France's Human Rights League (LDH) on Thursday condemned the decision to place Joel Domenjoud, a member of the legal team for the coalition of protest groups, under house arrest.
Domenjoud, a legal activist, told the Guardian that he had been served with a restraining order wrongly describing him as a "principal leader of the ultra-left movement" just hours after a judge refused to hear an appeal against the ban on the climate demo that he had petitioned for.
"I wasn't there when they came to my house but my neighbor called me to say 'What's wrong? The stairs are full of cops from the first to the third floor!'" he said.
Domenjoud says he was then followed by several undercover officers, before returning home, where he was served with the restraining notice.
"I feel angry about it because I think they made a big mistake," Domenjoud added. "They weren't looking for people like us activists - or if they were, it shows that they can target people for no reason at all and our civil liberties are in danger."