Clashes between police and demonstrators for the climate took place this Friday at dawn near the Salle Pleyel in Paris, where the general meeting of shareholders of TotalEnergie is to be held in the morning.
At dawn, dozens of climate demonstrators tried to enter the stretch of street passing in front of the Salle Pleyel, in the beautiful districts of Paris. A dozen of them, who had sat in front of the entrance, were dislodged by the police and scuffles took place. The police used tear gas canisters to dislodge the demonstrators. After three warnings in less than a minute by loudspeaker, the police fired tear gas into the middle of a group of climate activists.
A coalition of NGOs called for the meeting to be blocked and dozens of activists are now seated at the entrances to rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, chanting in particular “what we want is to overthrow Total” and “one, two and three degrees, it’s Total that we have to thank”.
“Total’s AGM will not take place”
The meeting comes at the end of a stormy GA season, where activists have stepped up actions against large groups, such as competitors Shell and BP or Barclays bank, accused of financing the expansion of hydrocarbon projects . A sign of the expected tensions, TotalEnergies will prohibit shareholders and journalists from using their mobile phones, and will force them to leave certain personal effects at the entrance.
The group wants above all to avoid the chaotic scenario of last year when NGO activists prevented shareholders from entering the AG.
“Total’s GA will not take place”, immediately warned in a forum at the end of April the signatories 350.org, Alternatiba, Friends of the Earth, ANV-COP21, Attac, Greenpeace, Scientists in Rebellion and XR. “This general meeting plans to perpetuate the strategy of the oil company: always more fossil projects and an unfair distribution of superprofits which fuels climatic and social injustice”, they denounce.