France Using Emergency Powers To Prevent Climate Change Protests (theguardian.com)

Bruce66423 writes: Following the Paris massacre, the French government declared a state of emergency. One of the regulations this introduced was control of large scale gatherings, and one of the events that is being caught up in this is planned protests to do with the Climate Change conference in Paris next month. This has resulted in some activists being put under house arrest — yet other gathering, such as commercial street markets — are being allowed to go ahead. Funny that; anyone would think that the government is using the opportunity to suppress dissent.

Comments

"using the opportunity to suppress dissent."

[Nutria]

Is the French government a known climate denier?

Or are they suppressing mass demonstrations for other reasons?

Re:"using the opportunity to suppress dissent."

[dfenstrate]

Is the French government a known climate denier?

Or are they suppressing mass demonstrations for other reasons?

Have you considered using the word 'heretic' instead of 'denier'?

Re:"using the opportunity to suppress dissent."

[Coolfish]

The idea that people are protesting against the French government on environmental grounds seems quite strange to me.

You probably are not aware that there will be an international meeting in Paris soon. Many governments will be represented, and the protests are an attempt to somehow sway more governments to act?

But no. Far easier to knock down strawmen. Sick of protesting crap. Yeah, democracy and free speech are so sickening, ugh! Why don't we have more countries like North Korea and China where the governments really know how to crack down on these stupid protests! /s

Re:"using the opportunity to suppress dissent."

[AchilleTalon]

And is this going to work? No. Nobody gives a fuck about protesters, but protesters themselves.

Re:"using the opportunity to suppress dissent."

[Conspicuous Coward]

No, the French government doesn't deny the existence of anthropogenic climate change. Nor does the US, China, or indeed virtually any major government or multinational corporation. Despite that fact, global CO2 emissions are still rising on an exponential curve. And all of these organisations are actively searching for more sources of fossil fuels at a time when science tells us we need to keep ~80% of known fossil reserves in the ground to avoid dangerous climate change

Climate denial-ism is a sideshow intended to keep you distracted. The media loudly promote a debate that doesn't really exist any more so that people can feel good they aren't a part of the evil climate deniers causing the problem. Liberals who loudly proclaim the importance of fighting climate change while doing everything they can to increase emissions have been far more of a threat to our climate than deniers for at least 20 years. When Obama gives another inspirational speech about preserving the environment for future generations everybody claps, and nobody bothers to mention the fact that the man has authorised an unprecedented increase in US domestic oil and gas production.

The COP conference in Paris will be little more than another sideshow intended to keep you distracted. We already know that there will be no legally binding agreements to reduce emissions and that the voluntary pledges countries are prepared to sign up to will likely lead to some 3-4C of warming even if implemented fully.

The reality is we live in a world that is gearing up for more, not less, fossil fuel use. Despite the loud proclamations of governments and media corporations to the contrary.

That is why protest is necessary and why the French government is actively suppressing dissent with these measures.

Re:Protests?

[ClickOnThis]

My quick scan is that it's a crackdown on protests in general, not necessarily on any particular issue. Not that I'm condoning it.

Hypocrite

[Barny]

They are just joining in on the fun, America, UK, Australia have all been abusing legislature regarding terrorists for many many years now. France will not be denied their piece of the totalitarian pie.

Quote:

[bitchtits]

'French authorities did not respond to requests for comment but lawyers said that the warrants were issued under state of emergency laws, imposed after the terror attacks that killed 130 people earlier this month. The author and climate change campaigner, Naomi Klein, accused French authorities of “a gross abuse of power that risks turning the summit into a farce”.'

This is how it begins

[whoever57]

Find a suitable reason to declare a state of emergency. Use the state of emergency to suppress legitimate protests. An event that outrages people used to remove civil liberties and the opportunity for dissent.

Where have we seen this before? In every country that became a dictatorship.

Re:This is how it begins

[hcs_$reboot]

Don't underestimate the impact of the 2-weeks-ago-yet-fresh-massacre though. So, this time the protests are suppressed, and in a year from now they will be authorized again. Do you really think France, and especially the French, would accept a "state of emergency" lasting years? No. Moreover there are presidential elections in less than two years, and the party abusing the current situation more than necessary would be decimated by the voters. The French are really attached to freedom.

Re:This is how it begins

[Eunuchswear]

Do you really think France, and especially the French, would accept a "state of emergency" lasting years?

No, they will make the measures permanent like every other country that has reduced civil liberties. When?

This isn't the first time France has declared state of emergency, an the previous times it was removed when it expired.

But feel free to enjoy your ideologicaly inspired cynicism.

Re:This is how it begins

[c]

Do you really think France, and especially the French, would accept a "state of emergency" lasting years?

I wouldn't have expected the average American to tolerate minimum wage thugs groping children and elderly without effective results for years, either... but apparently, the terrorists won that round.

Yes/No

[Anonymous Coward]

//// Football matches: "Yes: Life must go on" ///// Climate change protests: "No - It's a security risk"

Why does gov't care about climate change protest?

[drnb]

Find a suitable reason to declare a state of emergency. Use the state of emergency to suppress legitimate protests. An event that outrages people used to remove civil liberties and the opportunity for dissent. Where have we seen this before? In every country that became a dictatorship.

Right, so the French government that recognizes climate change and agrees it is a major issue to be dealt with is afraid of protesters who recognize climate change and believe it is a major issue to be dealt with?

Human right convention suspended

[manu0601]

French people seems to have reacted quite well to the killings, but french political leaders seems to be drowning in panic. They even suspended France's application of European Convention on Human Rights. From this link's France section:

Some of [the measures], prescribed by the decrees of 14 November 2015 and 18 November 2015 and by the Law of 20 November 2015, may involve a derogation from the obligations under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

Re:Why does gov't care about climate change protes

[drnb]

Right, so the French government that recognizes climate change and agrees it is a major issue to be dealt with is afraid of protesters who recognize climate change and believe it is a major issue to be dealt with?

Perhaps it has more to do with getting the populace used to suppression of dissent?

What dissent? The protesters and the government agree.

Re:Why does gov't care about climate change protes

[Uberbah]

Right, so the French government that recognizes climate change and agrees it is a major issue to be dealt with

Does it really agree, or is it just throwing around two-faced platitudes it has no intention of honoring? Like Obama when he vowed to renegotiate NAFTA, or Hillary now being against the TPP after she spent years drafting it as SOS.

Read the news, CO2 emissions flat

[SuperKendall]

2014 saw no rise in CO2 emissions.

Of course, since years of rapid CO2 rise with no corresponding temperature increases (including historical records as far back as we can look) have shown clearly CO2 is not a factor in climate change, that doesn't matter much...