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Eiffel Tower with protest poster
Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP
Activists of the organization Extinction Rebellion have called for more international engagement against climate change with a protest at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Eight activists climbed the outside of the building to the first floor on Sunday and posted a large pink banner with the words "Rebel" on it.
The climbers were arrested by the police.
According to Extinction Rebellion, twelve other activists were inside the Eiffel Tower who helped roll up the banner.
The action marked the start of a series of protests the organization is planning to take place in France during the week.
Extinction Rebellion member Lea Lecouple told AFP that the corona pandemic would confirm the message of the climate activists.
The global health crisis shows that "Co2 emissions stop so that aircraft can be kept on the ground".
As recently as last month, Extinction Rebellion activists occupied streets near Parliament in London to block traffic.
Around 90 members were arrested.
The goal: a U-turn in climate policy
Extinction Rebellion (XR) does not see itself as an activist elite, but as a gathering movement.
After early-stage XR activists proclaimed a "rebellion against the government" in London's Parliament Square on October 31, 2018, the movement claims to have expanded to dozens of countries, including the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific and the United States established alongside "Fridays for Future" as the second arm of a new global climate movement.
The path of the XR supporters: They want to bring traffic, economic life and government business to a standstill with peaceful civil disobedience in order to force a U-turn in climate policy.
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