Inflate barricades around the COP
You want to participate in the citizen mobilization around the COP 21 despite the state of emergency? The 130 NGOs composing the Climate 21 Coalition define the “red lines” that the COP must not cross, with symbolic inflatable cobblestones. Instructions for use.
With the state of urgency and after the violence that put an end to the Parisian mobilization on Sunday, November 29, how will the actions prepared some time ago by the Climate 21 Coalition take place? And especially the large mobilization planned for the end of the COP, on December 11 and 12? After months of discussion, the gathering of some 130 civil society organizations had agreed on a symbolic action: the rolling-out of Redlines that the COP must not cross.
While one red line has already been crossed this Sunday, certain activists demonstrated their intent not to respect the state of emergency. It is the case of Naomi Klein, author of This changes everything, who brings up as soon as Sunday civil disobedience and Redlines, during the brawls place de la République.
For D12, on December 12, last day of the United Nations conference on the climate, the associations truly intend to make themselves heard. And thus to use any non-violent method at their disposal, without provoking the police but maintaining the Redlines action. These red lines not to be crossed will be symbolized by giant barricades of inflatable cobblestones positioned around the COP21 site, an identical imagery to symbolically compel the leaders to act for the climate. The coalition is discussing now how to adapt the actions to the new situation.
The inflatable cobblestones were developed by Artur Van Balen of Tools for Action, an international group of activist artists who imagine all sorts of inflatable structures to support ecological combats. The first Redlines action took place in Germany this summer when 1,500 people blocked the lignite mine of Garzweiler, one of the largest open air coal mines in Europe and one of the most polluting industrial sites of the continent.
In order to be appropriately prepared for the Redlines action, trainings are being organized in Paris from December 7-11at the Zone d’Action Climat (ZAC) at the 104. Trainings on techniques of civil disobedience that will also give out all the information on the legal implications of the actions and the creation of affinity groups. The proposal of the activist game on the climate, Climate Games, will serve for that matter to coordinate these groups.
Inflatable barricade test at Jardin d’Alice by Tools for Action, 2015:
Since mid-November, Tools for Action took up residence at l’Atelier des possibles of the Jardin d’Alice in Montreuil to prepare the inflatable cobblestones. The Redline cobblestone finds its inspiration in the ReflectoCubo, a giant reflective cube, two by two meters, popularized for its effectiveness in protest marches against austerity in Germany and in Spain in 2012, disrupting and obstructing the police forces in their progression. You can in fact seek the advice of this Spanish tutorial to make your ReflectoCube.
ReflectoCube, the video tutorial (in Spanish and English):
The Climate 21 Coalition invites participants in the mobilization to gather at the ZAC on December 11 for a last briefing to update the strategy. The Redlines action should begin at sunrise (8.30) on Saturday December 12. Except if the COP ends on the Friday (in 20 years of negotiations, it has never finished on time…), in which case, the action would begin immediately.
The coalition is discussing now the legal grey zones of the state of urgency. The original plan for the disobedients was to gather at sunrise (8.30) on D12 in several places (held secret until the last moment) and march in columns in the shape of the five fingers of a hand (each “finger” holding up to 800 people) towards key places around le Bourget to then occupy them with inflatable structures, tents, tractors, etc.
“The Redlines actions planned in Paris are marking the beginning of a worldwide movement that will carry on until the Redlines are no longer crossed by those who continue despite all opposition to endanger our communal planet.”
Climate 21 Coalition
The objective of the Redlines action is not to enter the conference center at le Bourget but to symbolically place the inflatable cobblestones around the site and occupy the public space with disobedient bodies. Ultimate instructions: do not try and pierce police lines, keep your distance and do not give in to provocation.
Website of the collective Tools for Action
Register for a fabrication workshop of Redlines inflatable cobblestones on the Facebook page
The tutorial to make your ReflectoCube