Thousands march for climate across France: 'I wish there were more of us, after the summer we've just had'

“Do you want your Earth blue, rare or well done?”, “Join the green side of the Force,” “Fewer shareholders, more water bombers,” “Slow-cooked.” The heatwaves of this past summer did not sap the creativity of environmental activists who marched across France on Saturday, September 26. From Bordeaux to Paris, via Rennes in Brittany and Die in the southeast, thousands – 120,000, according to organizers – turned out “for the climate, for life, for peace, for social justice.”

More than 260 demonstrations were planned throughout the country. In Montpellier, police counted 2,000 people, 500 in Marseille. In Clermont-Ferrand, central France, the march was interrupted when a car broke through the crowd, lightly injuring four people. In Paris, protesters packed into a small section of Place de la République. Because of the pope’s visit, the planned march became a static rally by late afternoon. The sound system was barely audible beyond the front rows, letting conversations drift to the months of May, June, July, and August, when temperatures soared and forests went up in smoke.

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