[ad_1]
The French government said on Wednesday it was closing environmental activist group Les Soulevements de la Terre (SLT) for sparking armed protests or violence, in a move that was immediately criticized by the left-wing opposition and NGOs.
Home Secretary Gerald Darmanin has referred several times to “environmental terrorism” in relation to SLT’s actions in recent months, saying that some activists have shown “extreme violence against police forces”.
A government decree announcing the group’s closure stated, “under the pretext of defending the preservation of the environment… This group encourages vandalism and material damage.”
The decree cited several protests that have resulted in clashes with police, including protests against a farm reservoir in western France in March and a railway in the Alps last week.
“It’s a violation of freedom of expression, and it targets speech, not actions,” SLT attorney Ravel Kempf said of the decree, adding that they will challenge it in court.
Rights groups said the move reflected the government’s crackdown on Green interest groups, which they said includes harsh policing of protests and arrests of activists.
“It’s part of a broader trend,” said Patrick Baudouin, president of the French League for Human Rights (LDH).
“Over the past few months, there have been attacks on many freedoms (freedom of protest, expression and association), mainly related to the environmental movement,” Baudouin said.
Activist Florian Lemmerle told Reuters that no matter what the government decides, SLT is too broad a group to solve.
“The spirit is a coalition,” said Lemmerley, “there are 190 local committees.”
[ad_2]
