PARIS, June 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Climate activists blocked entry to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Paris office with some gluing their hands to its doors, demanding developing countries’ debt be scrapped to help tackle climate change.
The Paris protest is part of a “Debt for climate” global campaign calling on wealthy-nation leaders attending the G7 summit in Germany to cancel the debts of poorer and less industrialised countries, known as the global south.
While low-emitting countries in the global south contribute the least to climate change, they tend to be the hardest-hit by the consequences, experts say.
“We need to give these countries the resources to fight against the climate crisis. They are the first victims and the last ones responsible,” said an Extinction Rebellion activist calling herself Chalou, one of dozens in front of the IMF building in Paris’ wealthy 16th district.
Several activists from Extinction Rebellion, Youth for Climate and 350.org glued their hands to glass doors at the building’s entrance, while others sat in front with their arms linked together inside tubes to make it harder to move them.
The group spread a banner reading “G7 responsible, IMF guilty” in front of the building, while some activists scattered fake banknotes marked with the slogan “Stop fossil fuels”.
“The debt crisis is first and foremost the result of an unjust financial system dominated by the richest countries,” activist groups Extinction Rebellion, Attac-France and Youth for Climate France, who organised the Paris action, said in a statement.
“The G7, the IMF and the World Bank have historical responsibilities in the development of this vicious circle of debt (and) over-exploitation of resources”, they added.
Environmental activists have organised a string of protests in recent weeks to refocus attention on climate change, as the energy crisis and war in Ukraine dominate the news agenda.
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN (Germany): Hundreds of protesters marched in the southern German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Sunday, near where leaders of the Group of Seven countries are meeting, demanding action on climate change.
Leaders of the G7 – the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan – started a three-day summit on Sunday at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian mountains, set to be dominated by the war in Ukraine.
Under a banner reading “Global Justice, Saving Climate Instead of Arming” several speakers addressed a crowd of protesters, calling for more action to fight climate change.
Seven of the protesters, holding an Oxfam banner which said “Stop Burning Our Planet”, were wearing traditional Bavarian costumes and masks depicting the G7 leaders. They clutched beer mugs while holding a model of the earth over a barbecue grill.
Greenpeace activists projected a giant peace symbol on top of Waxenstein mountain near to Schloss Elmau late on Saturday to send a pro-peace and anti-fossil fuel message to the G7 summit.
On Monday a small group of protesters will be allowed to hold a rally 500 metres from the castle where the G7 summit is taking place. — NNN-AGENCIES
