The sword of Damocles, which had been hovering over Les Uprisings of the Earth for nearly three months, finally fell on the collective on Wednesday. The decree of dissolution was presented in the morning in the Council of Ministers. The procedure initiated at the end of March, only a few days after the violent clashes in Sainte-Soline around the “mega-basins”, was blocked for legal questions. Unlike most of the associations dissolved until now, the Uprisings of the Earth is a collective that brings together several structures, some of which are recognized by the public authorities. Matignon therefore feared that in the event of an appeal, the decree would be challenged by the Council of State.
But these three months of respite did not make it possible to calm the spirits. Many environmental and political activists denounce an authoritarian drift by the government aimed in particular at muzzling opponents of this water reservoir project. “We have absolutely nothing against associations that campaign for ecology, it is making us a false trial”, defends a government source. And to insist: “All voices can be expressed but this activism must be done within a legal framework. We cannot tolerate a collective that breaks, degrades, threatens public order…” Although this device is relatively classic, it is the first time that a decree has targeted a structure with an environmental purpose. Over the past ten years, 43 procedures have been launched, exclusively against far-right, far-left and, since 2015, Islamist associations or groups.
“We have maintained all the planned actions”
Despite this deadline, on its site, the collective Les Uprisings of the Earth ensures that it has not changed its schedule. “Far from being intimidated by the repression, we have maintained all the actions planned for this season and called for new ones”, can we read. It is hard to imagine the most radical elements stopping all activism after the publication of a decree. “It is certain that nothing prevents dissolved groups from reforming under another name or joining a movement close to theirs”, notes Xavier Crettiez, associate professor of political science, specialist in political violence. However, reducing this procedure to a simple display measurement is a shortcut. “The dissolution of a structure weakens it on an organizational level”, specifies the researcher. It can no longer have funding to set up operations or even print leaflets, it no longer has the right to have premises, its site is dereferenced…
“Obviously we will never prevent any radical expression, but it is a tool that works”, assures the same government source. And to cite the example of Génération Identitaire, an ultra-right group dissolved in March 2021. “They made themselves known with their actions in the Alps or the Pyrenees to prevent migrants from passing through, there have not been any since. It remains to be seen whether these radical expressions were expressed through other channels. Less than a year after this dissolution, the site street press revealed that some militants had reformed a group.
“In radical militant logic, one of the driving forces is the group effect, specifies Xavier Crettiez. Individuals who are a little lonely will not change their ideas but can move away from activism. On the other hand, notes the researcher, dissolution can have the opposite effect on the most radical elements. “The members of a legal association cannot do anything otherwise it will be singled out. This creates a certain form of supervision and accountability of the members. When this is dissolved, nothing and no one channels these elements. Similarly, the monitoring of the most radical by the police and intelligence services is more difficult when there is no framework.
Less effect with digital
Another difficulty: this system, created in 1936, aims above all to weaken traditional structures, those whose members meet, seek funding and organize operations. What about much more spontaneous movements? “Digital technology nevertheless changes the situation and the effectiveness of measurement,” continues the researcher. With organizational loops on WhatsApp, Telegram or even more secure networks, it becomes easier to set up operations. More and more activists come together at an event and then disperse once it is over. Will it be the same for the Earth Uprisings? The answer could come quickly: on its site, the collective refers to a water convoy which will take place in mid-August in Sainte-Soline.