Plans for Mobilizations in Paris Cancelled by Authorities: French Activists More Determined Than Ever Before to Make Voices Heard

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.

"There will be no COP21 without civil society and our voices will be heard inside that conference centre and in capitals around the world," said Wael Hmaidan, director of Climate Action Network International.

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.

"We call on people across the world to join in and march for us in solidarity, to express our demands and echo our voices," said Alix Mazounie, international policy coordinator for RAC 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.

Nicolas Haeringer, France Campaigner for 350.org said

"The government can prohibit these demonstrations, but our voices will not be silenced. While this makes it difficult to go forward with our original plans, we will still find a way for people in Paris to make the call for climate justice heard, and we encourage everyone around the world to join a Global Climate March and raise their voices louder than ever. There's never been a greater need.

 While our plans for Paris must change, the movement for climate justice will not slow down. Around the world, marches, demonstrations, and civil disobedience are all planned for the weeks and months ahead. Together, we will continue to stand against violence and hatred with our peace and resolve. For people around the world, join the Global Climate March in your community to show your support for climate justice. For those who were planning to travel to Paris, still come and join us, and together we'll find a way to take action together."

Emma Ruby-Sachs, Deputy Director of Avaaz said:

"The police have just informed us that the tragic attacks in Paris have made the march there impossible. Now it's even more important for people everywhere to march on the weekend of November 29th on behalf of those who can't, and show that we are more determined than ever to meet the challenges facing humanity with hope, not fear."

Jean Francois Julliard, executive director of Greenpeace France, said:

"The French authorities say they cannot guarantee safety at the march, and so it will not happen. This is a source of huge regret, but we must respect the decision. Huge numbers were expected in Paris, but those people will not be silenced. We will find new, imaginative ways to ensure our voices are heard in the UN conference centre and beyond. And in hundreds of towns and cities across the world people will still march for the climate, for Paris and for our shared humanity. We stand for a vision of human cooperation that the murderers sought to extinguish. They will not succeed."