Arthur Delaborde with AFP
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07:00, February 26, 2023
An environmental protester was tackled to the ground by the President of the Republic’s security service while he was visiting the Agricultural Show on Saturday, AFP journalists noted, Emmanuel Macron subsequently condemning “all gestures of violence”. “The thermal renovation plan, Mr. President!” Shouted a young activist around 3:00 p.m., while the head of state was talking with a sheep farmer. He was evacuated unceremoniously by the head of state’s bodyguards, in particular by pulling his hair, a scene which was the subject of a video widely shared on social networks.
“I haven’t seen this young man”, Mr. Macron then declared, saying “to reprove all gestures of violence whatever they are, when it comes to questioning someone, whether they are moreover physical or verbal”. A little earlier, a member of the collective “Last renovation” had challenged the head of state by calling on him to “listen to scientific reports” on climate change. Introducing himself as “Pierre”, he wore a t-shirt crossed out with the words “What are you used for?”.
“I believe in dialogue”
Several citizens supporting this movement “recalled the criminal uselessness of the current government, declared outlaw by its own courts, in the fight against climate change”, underlined the collective in a press release. These activists are calling for a more ambitious energy renovation plan for buildings in France.
“I have been challenged several times by these young activists from these NGOs, whether it is Extinction Rebellion or Last Renovation,” the President of the Republic said later. “I believe in dialogue. Each time I have had people, they did not want to dialogue (…) I invite these young people (…) to come and dialogue at the Elysée”.
Associations adhering to the strategy of a bang
“We can’t live in a society where on the one hand you have young people, haggard in the way they approach you, who say ‘we’re all going to die, we’re screwed, I’m 26’, and who do not want to dialogue at all”, continued Emmanuel Macron. “And you are ten meters, and you have young farmers or older ones who tell you ‘I am going to die, we change the rules all the time, I can no longer live'”.
Follower of the strategy of a bang, the Last Renovation collective, founded in early 2022, has already disrupted the Tour de France, Roland-Garros or a PSG-OM match. Friday evening, one of its activists briefly entered the stage during the Cesar ceremony. “We refuse to be part of the communication plan. If he wants a debate, he has our numbers”, launched Pierre at the end of the afternoon on BFMTV.