Mass action at the opening of big corporate expo "Solutions COP21"

Hundreds of activists followed the public call for a peaceful action against the corporate greenwashing event “Solutions COP21” in Le Grande Palais. Marking the opening of the exposition on the fourth of December, the action denounced the false solutions peddled by industry in Paris during the COP21 climate talks with a creative act of civil disobedience. The action, which was supported by Amis de la Terre, CEO, ATTAC France, Climate Justice Action, J.E.D.I for Climate, Solidaire ptt and Young Friends of the Earth France criticises the event “Solutions COP21” for giving big multinational corporations a stage to greenwash their business model as part of a solution to climate change. Watch action video here and our Pascoe Sabido getting carried away (literally) here.

On the inside of the expositions activists organized “toxic tours”, exposing the polluting reality behind many of the event's sponsors such as Engie, Coca-Cola, Avril Sofiproteol, Veolia and Renault-Nissan. “Engie is making billions while people in my local community suffer health consequences for their greed” - one woman shouts out, climbing on the high polished stall of the company formally known as GDF Suez. A stall which is displaying a solar powered racing car and is curiously skipping over the 30 coal fired power plants the company still possesses. Surrounded by media she calls out the destructive activities of the corporations. Minutes later she is removed by several security forces and escorted out of the Grand Palais.

The organizers of “Solutions 21” responded to the protest with a heavy security and police presence both inside and outside the Grand Palais. Increasingly nervous the security massively limited and temporally stopped access to Le Grande Palais – turning away many activists queuing for the normally public exposition. Inside activist and journalists alike faced an impressive number of security and plain clothe police men, roughly trying to stop both, the action and the coverage about it.

But despite the repression the activists and representatives of frontline communities continued to speak out against the corporate sponsors of the event. Peaceful and determined – from chanting and creating a sitting blockade to a banner drop outside the Grande Palais - the activists successfully highlighted the hypocrisy of the present corporations. They made clear; these companies who are creating injustice, provoking climate change and destroying local livelihoods are part of the problem. They and their false solutions cross the red lines for a livable planet - they will never be part of a real solution to climate change