. | . |
Paris extends ban on rallies until Nov 30 start of UN climate talks by Staff Writers Paris (AFP) Nov 21, 2015 Paris has extended a ban on public gatherings introduced after the terror attacks in the French capital until November 30, the start of UN climate talks, the city's police headquarters said Saturday. In a statement the prefecture recalled the "extreme seriousness" of last week's attacks, which left 130 people dead and prompted the government to put in place a three-month state of emergency. Authorities have already banned two citizens' rallies planned around the climate summit that will be attended by 138 heads of state and government after the worst-ever terror attack on French soil. The French government has said it will not "give in" to terrorism and insists the long-anticipated conference will go ahead. A state of emergency put in place immediately after the November 13 attacks was this week extended to three months. It allows government to place under house arrest anyone considered to be a threat to security, and police to launch raids without advance authorisation from the courts. Hundreds of such raids have taken place this week, turning up weapons arsenals in people's homes -- a rocket-launcher in one case -- and the flag of the Islamic State group which claimed the attack. While the state of emergency does not allow control of the press, the interior ministry reserves the right to block websites or social media accounts promoting terrorism. It also allows authorities to dissolve groups or associations participating in, facilitating or inciting acts which threaten public safety.
Defiant NGOs swap rallies for art in post-attack Paris Instead of a November 29 march from Place de la Republique square, not far from last Friday's jihadist massacre of people out for dinner, drinks and a concert, there will now be a "visual and audio route" created by artists, NGOs announced in the French capital. Rallies to beat the drum for concerted political action against global warming had been planned for November 29, the day before some 138 heads of state and government are meant to open the summit, and December 12, the day after it closes. But the French government on Wednesday banned both gatherings, citing security fears in the wake of the attacks which killed 130 people. Paris police then denied permission for an alternative mass assembly in an enclosed and more easily safeguarded area. Climate NGOs have reacted with a mix of disappointment and understanding, but fear their voice will be drowned out and the conversation left to politicians and business people. "We will not abandon our mobilisation of November 29" or the rest of the conference, insisted Juliette Rousseau of Coalition Climat 21, an umbrella body of some 130 NGOs. "The question now is how best to occupy the public space," she told journalists in Paris. The November 29 march had been predicted to draw between 200,000 and 300,000 people to the City of Light. More than 50 major rallies are being planned around the world on the same day -- from London and Berlin to Sao Paolo, Bogota and New Delhi. Civil society groups have urged people to turn out in great numbers for those events "on behalf of those (in Paris) who can't". - 'Loud and clear' - "We are determined to ensure that the much-needed peoples' call for climate justice will be heard loud and clear," said Jagoda Munic, of Friends of the Earth International, another umbrella group. The details have yet to be worked out, but the November 29 march will be replaced by sidewalk art displays on a special route between two central Paris squares, Republique and la Nation. "Within the limitations imposed on us, we will give expression to this rally in an artistic way," said Alix Mazounie, of the Climate Action Network. The groups will also launch a website called march4me.org, where people in other cities can sign up to represent someone unable to march in Paris. The NGOs have yet to decide how they will replace their December 12 action, which was to entail human chains in the city and at Le Bourget airport which will host the summit. Other public events will continue as planned, including a "People's Climate Summit" in Paris with debates, workshops and film screenings, and special "Climate Generations" areas set aside at Le Bourget for discussion and exhibits. About 40,000 delegates, journalists, observers, NGOs and other participants are accredited for the November 30-December 11 marathon negotiation. The talks are tasked with yielding a 195-nation pact to curb greenhouse gas emissions blamed for dangerous levels of climate change.
Related Links Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |