
Thousands of people gathered in Paris, France on March 12, 2022 to draw attention to the climate crisis and social injustice amid the presidential election campaign. (Photo: Esra Taskin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Tens of Thousands March in 'Look Up' Climate Rallies Across France
Inspired by the allegorical film "Don't Look Up," tens of thousands of people across France hit the streets in multiple cities this past weekend to demand climate action.
In addition to earning four Oscar nominations, "Don't Look Up"--Adam Mckay and David Sirota's political satire about elite indifference and profiteering in the face of imminent but preventable catastrophe--inspired tens of thousands of people in multiple cities across France to march this past weekend at "Look Up" rallies to demand climate action.
Equipped with banners and signs--including one that asked, "When are we going to talk about it?"--large numbers of people throughout France hit the streets. There were 80,000 demonstrators nationwide, with 32,000 in Paris alone, according to organizers.
In Mckay and Sirota's Netflix hit, astronomers who discover a comet that is poised to end life on Earth struggle in vain to get corporate-funded politicians and media outlets to take their evidence-backed warnings seriously, let alone do what is necessary to avert a calamitous collision.
Saturday's protests, which came less than a month before the start of the French presidential election, called on lawmakers to confront the fossil fuel-driven climate emergency that threatens to make large swaths of the planet uninhabitable.
As Agence France-Presse reported, "The climate crisis took up only 1.5% of talking points in media coverage of the election campaign from February 28 to March 6, a recent survey by climate justice NGOs has found."
In the northern city of Lille, Lydie Lampin Bernand told AFP that "I'm only 34 years old, and even I've seen the planet slapped in the face with a shovel."
"We have to protect the land we'll leave to our children," she added.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
In addition to earning four Oscar nominations, "Don't Look Up"--Adam Mckay and David Sirota's political satire about elite indifference and profiteering in the face of imminent but preventable catastrophe--inspired tens of thousands of people in multiple cities across France to march this past weekend at "Look Up" rallies to demand climate action.
Equipped with banners and signs--including one that asked, "When are we going to talk about it?"--large numbers of people throughout France hit the streets. There were 80,000 demonstrators nationwide, with 32,000 in Paris alone, according to organizers.
In Mckay and Sirota's Netflix hit, astronomers who discover a comet that is poised to end life on Earth struggle in vain to get corporate-funded politicians and media outlets to take their evidence-backed warnings seriously, let alone do what is necessary to avert a calamitous collision.
Saturday's protests, which came less than a month before the start of the French presidential election, called on lawmakers to confront the fossil fuel-driven climate emergency that threatens to make large swaths of the planet uninhabitable.
As Agence France-Presse reported, "The climate crisis took up only 1.5% of talking points in media coverage of the election campaign from February 28 to March 6, a recent survey by climate justice NGOs has found."
In the northern city of Lille, Lydie Lampin Bernand told AFP that "I'm only 34 years old, and even I've seen the planet slapped in the face with a shovel."
"We have to protect the land we'll leave to our children," she added.
In addition to earning four Oscar nominations, "Don't Look Up"--Adam Mckay and David Sirota's political satire about elite indifference and profiteering in the face of imminent but preventable catastrophe--inspired tens of thousands of people in multiple cities across France to march this past weekend at "Look Up" rallies to demand climate action.
Equipped with banners and signs--including one that asked, "When are we going to talk about it?"--large numbers of people throughout France hit the streets. There were 80,000 demonstrators nationwide, with 32,000 in Paris alone, according to organizers.
In Mckay and Sirota's Netflix hit, astronomers who discover a comet that is poised to end life on Earth struggle in vain to get corporate-funded politicians and media outlets to take their evidence-backed warnings seriously, let alone do what is necessary to avert a calamitous collision.
Saturday's protests, which came less than a month before the start of the French presidential election, called on lawmakers to confront the fossil fuel-driven climate emergency that threatens to make large swaths of the planet uninhabitable.
As Agence France-Presse reported, "The climate crisis took up only 1.5% of talking points in media coverage of the election campaign from February 28 to March 6, a recent survey by climate justice NGOs has found."
In the northern city of Lille, Lydie Lampin Bernand told AFP that "I'm only 34 years old, and even I've seen the planet slapped in the face with a shovel."
"We have to protect the land we'll leave to our children," she added.

