The race was interrupted for about ten minutes and their action broadcast around the world. Members of the environmental organization Last Renovation, launched in particular by former members of Extinction rebellion, have carried out around ten actions since the beginning of April, such as during the 10th stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday July 12, causing the neutralization of the race for about ten minutes. They are calling for a massive investment plan in energy renovation by 2040.
>> Climate crisis: they block the ring road, invite themselves to the Tour de France or Roland-Garros… Who are the Last Renovation activists?
An information meeting in Paris was organized by the movement recently. To get there, you arrive in a small courtyard with, on the right: a vegetable patch and a bit of grass, on the left: a table tennis table. At the back, a room with a stage. “Coral reefs, we are almost sure that we can say goodbye to them”, launches one of the activists. There were around ten of them that evening talking about the Last Renovation campaign and its objectives.
Among them there is Ella, 24, who works in corporate social responsibility (CSR), Florence, 57, hospital doctor and Bertrand, 28, civil servant. The three members got involved from the start of the campaign, between January and March, with the first operation, on April 1, blocking the Paris ring road. “I was there. I had never done any action, activism or blocking”explains Florence who participated in three blockages on the roads.
“There are people who are really very angry and out of it and who become violent. I can understand. But when they are also affected in their families, in their daily lives, it will be too late. can’t wait for everyone to be convinced.”
Florence, activist Last renovationat franceinfo
Their “civil resistance” campaign now claims a hundred members, mostly students or young workers like Bertrand, ready to get involved in blockades, always in a non-violent way, to demand from political leaders a vast program of energy renovation by 2040: “A renovation obligation, with an agenda that is therefore binding for owners, but also a massive level of aid sufficient to encourage owners to undertake these renovations.”
Why Last Renovation has just blocked the Tour de France?#TDF2022
The announcement effects, the pitiful effects of language on the alleged “radicality” of the ecological action of the @governmentFR and of @EmmanuelMacron are intolerable and criminal. It needs to change ! pic.twitter.com/Pz1cxnHpoY
— Last Renovation (@derniere_renov) July 12, 2022
To mobilize, the organization intends to disrupt events broadcast in mondovision, such as during the blocking of the 10ᵉ stage of the Tour de France. “It gave us absolutely enormous visibility, Bertrand explains. It brings a lot of people to us.” Example with a newcomer, Eric, 61, chartered accountant: “I am not an environmentalist, I voted for Macron, I even campaigned for Macron.” Eric was touched by the images of the activist clinging to the net during Roland-Garros: “It moved me because it could be my daughter. I told myself that I also have small children. So I think that we must do it for them, to preserve future generations.” Last hopes to reach 500 activists at the start of the school year. New actions are already on the program.