Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders, stated in his report on Europe’s attitude towards environmental activists that he was particularly concerned about France’s intervention against the activists.
The report pointed to the widespread use of fines against environmental activists and the revocation of their residence permits for 6 months.
It was emphasized that a negative perception was created in the media against the environmental activists, as well as French politicians calling them “ecoterrorists” and seeing them as a “threat to democracy”.
The report also criticized the excessive use of force by the police against environmentalists, stating that the protesters were monitored and their houses were searched by law enforcement officers.
In 2023, the French government decided to dissolve the environmentalist community called “Soulevement de la Terre”, which had 100 thousand members, on the grounds that it “resorted to violence”, and this decision was rejected by the Council of State.
