Climate change protests for November 29 and December 12 banned in Paris and France

Negotiations between climate activist organisations and the French state have been ocurring early this week regarding approval for civil society public events and the two huge mobilisations, but without coming to agreed solutions. The Paris Prefecture of Police informed Climat21 Coalition late this afternoon (18 November) of the decision to prohibit the two marches.

According to an Le Monde report (fr), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying that due to the attacks of November 13 and the security situation all events in enclosed spaces and that are easily securable will be maintained. However, the government decided to avoid greater risk and that the planned marches for Paris and other cities in France on 29 November and 12 December would be prohibited.

You can read about the negotiations at The Guardian Paris climate summit march in doubt after talks deadlock. Peter Burdon writing at The Conversation also puts the situation within context: The state of emergency could thwart public demonstrations at the Paris climate talks. Read Nick Dearden article on why The Paris attacks make climate protests more important than ever.

The action by the French state comes after the Paris attacks by Daech (ISIL) militants killed 139 people in six separate but co-ordinated attacks across Paris on Friday evening, 13 November. (See my report: Terrorism in Paris casts a cloud across UN climate conference

"We are aware of the seriousness of the situation. More than ever we will mobilize and gather creatively. No COP21 without mobilizing civil society." said Juliette Rousseau, coordinator of the Coalition climate 21.

Climat21 coalition are determined that the voice of Paris and Parisiens are not silenced during the negotiations. They have affirmed in a media release that on 29 November and 12 December alternative forms of citizen mobilization will be found.

And they stressed that the Citizens Summit on climate on 5 and 6 December in Montreuil (Seine Saint-Denis) will go ahead, as well as the Climate Action Zone events from December 7 to 11 at Le Centquatre (near Gare Nord) would be maintained.

Are you marching in one of the 57 marches worldwide?

Here is just a humble suggestion from me, if you are participating in a global climate march or a peoplesclimate march in Australia.

Can I suggest that those of you not in Paris do a cardboard cut out of a person and write ‪#‎jesuisParis‬ on it and take it along to the protest as your plus one. Use it to add other climate slogans as you desire. Let your placards speak for Paris as the French State are attempting to silence the citizens of Paris mobilising during the climate conference.

John Englart (@takvera) and his teenage daughter are travelling to Paris to report on the United Nations COP21 climate talks (including for Australian citizen journalist site Nofibs), and in particular what role Australia plays in those negotiations.