While the city sleeps, Luc, 25, begins his tour. His target? Tires, which he deflates on the chain. In the line of sight, SUVs, large cars that look like 4x4s. According to him, the worst car. “For three reasons: their environmental impact, their dangerousness on the road and also the problems of air pollution”, he explains. In civilian life, Luc is a researcher and works on the climate. He joined this movement a few weeks ago, launched in Great Britain. Once the tires are deflated, he leaves a leaflet on the windshield, to explain his gesture. Carrying out illegal actions has become essential for him in the face of the climate emergency.
“Politics doesn’t work, protest doesn’t work, virtuous work doesn’t work, a virtuous way of life doesn’t work… Well, we’re going to look for slightly more alternative solutions, which some call violent”, comments Luke. For Éric Hatton, business manager, who transports bulky equipment, these deflations make no sense. “I don’t need them to think”he said.
The punch actions of environmental activists have multiplied in recent weeks: extinguishing neon lights on the facades of shops, interruption of a match at Roland-Garros, or vandalism on a golf course, to denounce the watering in times of drought. “For them, it’s not violence, it’s really a form of resistance, also a form of necessity to bring out fundamental issues”analyzes Réjane Sénac, director of CNRS research at Cevipof.