They want to ground these planes. Activists from Attac and Extinction Rebellion blocked for about an hour, Friday, September 23, a terminal at Le Bourget business airport, near Paris, but not the flights, to denounce “the climate crimes of the ultra-rich” who use private jets. “Private jets are the symbol of a way of life that destroys the planet”estimated on the spot Annick Coupé, spokesperson for the Attac association.
ACTION IN PROGRESS AT #BORGET
The activists of @attac_fr and of #ExtinctionRebellion block an access point at Paris-Le Bourget airport ✈️, the leading business aviation airport in Europe #ClimateCriminals#StopCO2Luxe#ClimateJustice#PrivateJets pic.twitter.com/9N9yDdKkhL
— Extinction Rebellion France (@xrFrance) September 23, 2022
About twenty activists, some dressed in white coats, had positioned themselves to block access to a terminal which was covered in red paint. After about an hour, most of them were dislodged and taken away by the police. A banner denouncing the “climate criminals” had been deployed to the scene of the intervention.
A dozen activists in custody
“12 activists from Attac France and Extinction Rebellion France are currently in police custody at the Courneuve police station following our action at Le Bourget”tweeted Friday evening the anti-globalization NGO Attac France, which calls on its activists to demonstrate in front of the police station on Saturday morning.
After their action targeting the private jets of #ClimateCriminals12 activists@attac_fr and @xrFrance were taken into custody.
Meet at 9 a.m. this Saturday at the Courneuve police station, 51 rue de la convention, to support them. pic.twitter.com/vUpSmNbKWG— Attac France (@attac_fr) September 23, 2022
The symbolic action, in this airport which presents itself as the first business airport in Europe, took place under the gaze of large numbers of police and gendarmerie. “As far as the ADP group is concerned, we condemn this action and will file a complaint”told AFP a spokeswoman for the manager of Paris airports, including that of Le Bourget.
High carbon emitters per passenger, the private jets of billionaires and celebrities have been the subject of renewed controversy for several months, with environmental activists calling for their supervision or even their ban. A jet can emit in five hours the amount of CO2 emitted by an average Frenchman for an entire year, according to a study by the specialized NGO Transport & Environment published in May 2021.