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| | | Review of UR’s 2023 Frontline Coverage of European Eco-Activism |
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2023 was the hottest year on record, negatively impacting billions of people worldwide. The expansion of fossil fuel extraction projects, many of which face vehement opposition, is a major contributor to the climate crisis. Throughout last year, Unicorn Riot published numerous stories from the frontlines of protests documenting some of that opposition at several hotspots throughout Europe. From the eviction of Lützerath to the Battle of Sainte-Soline — one of the largest pitched battles against French police in environmental activism — to panels and conferences meant to address the impacts of climate change, our coverage spanned the continent last year. Read on for a look back at some of that coverage, as well as our fiery coverage from French riots against pension reform and police killings last year. |
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First Ever ‘World Congress for Climate Justice’ |
We start with one of the more recent developments, the First International of the Climate Justice Movement. For many years, transnational movements like “Fridays for Future” or “Extinction Rebellion” have tried to push governments to comply with the 1.5 C climate threshold set in 2015 by the Paris Agreement, yet activists believe not enough has changed. The struggles against mega-projects — be it coal mines, pipelines, motorways, train lines, construction for Olympic games, or water privatization — are still happening on every continent, and many are crying out for an immediate reaction to a dystopian future. One such reaction happened in October in Milan, Italy: The World Congress for Climate Justice (WCCJ). Watch our video and read our report on the First International. |
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The Battle of Sainte-Soline and Against Mega-Basins |
For several years, French opposition has been organizing against the mega-basin projects that have been flourishing in the Sainte-Soline area. Basins are artificial water reservoirs typically ~25 acres in size and 16 yards deep, lined with plastic sheeting and filled with water meant to irrigate farms and fields. Described as a “headlong rush” by environmentalists, these massive water retention facilities are being promoted by agribusiness lobbies and the French government to alleviate water shortages caused by repeated droughts. The mega-basins are feared by the activists to solely benefit the food industry as reportedly only a small amount would be allocated to the common farmer.
In late March 2023, tens of thousands of protesters converged on a mega-basin in Sainte-Soline and waged a several hour-long battle against thousands of police officers who used over 4,000 crowd control munitions, leaving hundreds injured and two activists in a coma. Click on the titles to read the full stories ‘Sabotage and Civil Disobedience in France: The Fight Against Mega-Basins and Water Grabbing’ published in November 2022 and ‘The Battle of Sainte-Soline’ published in April 2023. |
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Last January, German police evicted the village of Lützerath. The village was on the edge of one of Europe’s largest open-pit coal mines, the dystopian Garzweiler, and was slated to be demolished. Protesters had occupied the village since 2020 and Lützerath had become a symbol of the German climate change movement. A place of collective living and learning – a utopia in the here and now, activists had built tree houses, protected the village and effectively built a grassroots movement that delayed demolition for years. The eviction lasted several days as hundreds of activists, many locked down in various forms, had to be cleared from the space. |
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Lützerath, Germany - January 11, 2023 - 7 a.m. |
“It was just after seven o’clock when someone called into the barn and said that supporters were needed at the village entrance barricade as the police were massing forces. Inside the barn, which had been converted into a sleeping hall, countless activists were sleeping. Some got up and slowly got ready. Others turned over again and fell back to sleep. A few minutes later, another voice said: “People, a big alarm has been sounded.” Suddenly everyone was fully awake. Everyone packed up their sleeping bags and backpacks. It was clear to everyone that the moment of eviction had come.” | |
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During the beginning of the police operation against the occupied village of Lüzterath last January, activists were filmed constructing a tripod in a few seconds directly in front of the police line. By performing acts of civil disobedience en masse and causing the police to take several days to evict the German village of Lützerath, activists stated they had achieved their goal of holding the occupied village until a large demonstration could make its way from Keyenberg. |
The first phase of the eviction happened fast and violently with activists at the barricades outnumbered by the large number of state forces. The second phase, clearing the village, took a bit longer as dozens of extractions were needed. |
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The forceful eviction of climate activists and the demolition of the village itself became a call to action and mass protests of over 35,000 people were held in response. Over the next week, a massive demo was held along with many other direct actions including shutting down a series of open-pit mines. Watch our 14-minute video below for a rundown of events. |
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Further Unicorn Riot coverage from France |
Unicorn Riot published several more contributions from the frontlines of social struggles in France last year. UR was on the ground for large protests-turned-riots on MayDay 2023 and in April covering riots over French President Macron pushing up the retirement age. We also published an in-depth report on the police killing on Algerian teenager Nahel Merzouk which led to days of fiery unrest. Furthermore, we spotlit a radical independent French media collective called Cerveaux non Disponibles with a 13-minute video. |
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International contributors whose media is featured in this newsletter: Alex Litsardakis, Alice Claire, Clara Vallée, John Malamatinas, Kian Seara Rey, Roma Kwiatkiewicz, and Yegor Halva. Newsletter crafted by Niko Georgiades for Unicorn Riot. |
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