Climate protesters dog oil major TotalEnergies' shareholder meeting in Paris
French police have thrown a security cordon around a shareholders meeting in Paris of oil major TotalEnergies
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.French police threw a security cordon around a shareholders' meeting in Paris of oil major TotalEnergies on Friday, spraying tear gas and pushing back climate protesters who chanted, “Be gentle, police officers, we're doing this for your kids !"
Shareholders, some escorted into the meeting by police, ran a gauntlet of the peaceful, earnest and mostly young demonstrators, who waved placards attacking the climate record of the French energy giant that has reaped colossal profits from price surges that have accompanied war in Ukraine.
“The last pipeline before the end of the world,” “Listen to the scientists: No more fossil projects,” their placards read.
Protesters sat down in surrounding streets and linked arms to block access to the meeting in a famed Paris concert hall.
Police officers bodily carried some protesters to move them out of the way. They sprayed tear gas from canisters to force people back.
The burning of coal, oil, natural gas and biomass is blamed for air pollution that researchers say kills 1.2 million people worldwide per year and is driving the climate crisis causing deadly weather extremes, hunger, heat deaths, migration and environmental destruction. The United Nations chief has pleaded for an end to new fossil fuel exploration and for rich countries to quit coal, oil and gas by 2040.
Citing the protests, TotalEnergies had told shareholders beforehand they could vote remotely.
Protesters came hours before the meeting, as dawn was breaking, to try to stop it from going ahead. The standoff with police evolved from there.
“We have no choice but to be here every single time they are here,” said demonstrator Camille Etienne.
___
Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment