Who is behind the pseudonym “Luc Sidewalker”?
On the eve of the citizen vote on the Place des SUVs in Paris, the profession of faith drawn up by this mysterious signatory did not go unnoticed in the mailboxes of the inhabitants of the 12th arrondissement.
In this letter, the one who borrows his nickname from Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars saga - "
sidewalk
" meaning "sidewalk" in English - invites people to vote in favor of the measure proposed by the city.
Namely the differentiated pricing for SUV parking, the price of which would be multiplied by three if the “for” side wins this Sunday.
Also read: Vote on SUV parking: Parisians determined to “sack” owners?
“Hello, I'm writing to you from Paris where the town hall is organizing a vote to make SUVs pay more for parking.
What a great idea, writes Luc Sidewalker.
These more bulky and polluting vehicles are responsible for more deadly road accidents than classic city cars.
If this measure is adopted, it could make it possible to pedestrianize 50 new school streets in Paris thanks to the revenue generated and would help relieve congestion on the streets for the benefit of cyclists and pedestrians.
I hope to see you at the polling station on Sunday to support this measure.
»
“They're going to hunt us down until February 4?
»
On the
“Who is the kind benefactor who financed this nice profession of faith found in our mailbox with a view to Sunday's vote?
», asks one of them.
“They're going to hunt us down until February 4?
», Annoys another, who confirms having received the missive this Thursday.
Who is the kind benefactor who financed this nice profession of faith found in our mailbox in view of the Sunday vote organized by @Paris?
I dare to hope that this does not involve public funds🤔.
What do @Anne_Hidalgo and @egregoire think?
pic.twitter.com/72OUgwOlQE
— Olivier Baccuzat (@obaccuzat) February 1, 2024
The communication operation was in fact carried out over “the entirety” of the 12th century by the “La Rue est à nous” coalition which brings together several environmental defense associations, including Respire.
Requested by Le Parisien, its director, Tony Renucci, assumes responsibility perfectly, both in substance and in form.
“It’s only the haters who get offended,” he says.
We identified the neighborhoods where we had more favorable soil because we couldn't do it everywhere.
»
According to the figures provided by the association, this campaign "funded entirely by Respire and Clean Cities" will have cost a little less than 5,000 euros - 3,600 euros for distribution and 1,200 euros for printing the flyers.
“1.8 billion in advertising spending” for the SUV
In addition to this letter in the form of a profession of faith, the collective also claims another “wild” poster campaign seen on the walls of the capital in recent days.
“Heavier, more polluting, but so much cooler”, we can read on one of these posters, punctuated by a “#STOPSUV”
Who pays for these giant anti-SUV campaigns (wild posters + letterbox towing) in Paris ❓ pic.twitter.com/IP0qpzTMYa
— Enzo Morel (@mtwit75) February 2, 2024
An operation once again assumed by the collective: “There are 1.8 billion in advertising expenditure devoted to SUVs,” assures Tony Renucci, based on a study by WWF France.
We also wanted to get our message across.
»