WHAT’S HOT
Local French organisers
The stress and repression they’ve been facing has been unbelievable. All credit to them for keeping it together and coming through. Please, please take some holidays.
Inflatable objects
Disobedient and desirable, and activist de rigueur this year.
Umbrellas
From Redlines to the Louvre/Total action, a recurring motif.
‘It Takes Roots’ delegation
Serving frontline fierceness inside and outside the COP. Slick production values for some very real people.
Red Lipstick
Red lines, red lips, ready to take on the world.
Naomi Klein’s hair
So much bounce and lustre. We’d love to know the secret of her product.
Cell-fies
Live video streaming from your prison cell. Totally illegal in France. Totally badass from these Art Not Oil activists who got arrested after the Louvre action.
Breakdancers at the ZAC (climate convergence space)
Effortlessly demonstrating to the climate movement that it needs to seriously up its game when it comes to busting some moves.
1.5 degrees
Thank god this is getting talked about again.
Kayaktivists on the Seine
It’s hard to pick just one moment from all the amazing Indigenous-led actions that took place in Paris. This was one of them.
Vandana Shiva rocking out with Flea at Pathway to Paris
Looking forward to hearing some of their studio material together.
The Art Space at Jardin de Alice
For those seeking solace from the soullessness of Le Bourget, this was a very welcoming space. Great food and all your action materials to hand.
German activists
They nearly didn't come, then changed their minds, got stuck in and were indispensable.
WHAT’S NOT
Avaaz triumphalism
Our stomachs were steeled in advance, but the inevitable ‘We did it!’ email (obviously written weeks beforehand) was quite something to behold. Hard to choose just one ‘not hot’ thing for Avaaz, but this is a worthy winner. You are a mailing list, not a movement.
1.5 degrees
Cynically signing up to 1.5, with no intention of delivering.
Pushy climate vegans
Trying to tell Via Campesina and Indigenous peoples what to eat and having some pretty dodgy stats on animal emissions.
French police
Cops are never hot obvs. But way not feeling the French ones. And especially not their shoulder pads.
Man buns
Not on Thom Yorke. Not on anyone. No.
The inevitable manarchist intervention in any public discussion
Dude, we get it. You’re super-radical and heavily invested in your political identity. Now please sit down and be quiet.
Leaving all the good stuff out of the agreement
Indigenous rights, human rights, shipping and aviation, pretty much anything binding...
Green Warriors of Norway
In biker jackets handing out free condoms saying ‘over-population is the biggest climate issue’. Not just neo-Malthusian, comes across a bit neo-fascist.
