author: Fabien Leboucq October 12, 2019 at 16:55
translation: GoogleTranslate/doxa-louise
Is Extinction Rebellion a "radical" movement?
British police officers forcibly remove an Extinction Rebellion activist in London, October 10, 2019. Photo Henry Nicholls. Reuters
The environmental movement is often labeled with this term in the press. Especially because they use it themselves, with respect to the objectives they pursue
Capucinne asks a question 10/10/19
Hello,
"You called the movement of non-violent civil disobedience, Extinction Rebellion," radical ". Could you please explain to us what allows you to use such a strong term? " This question follows the publication in Libé of a 5 October article about the occupation of the Parisian shopping mall Italy 2 by Extinction Rebellion , a non-violent environmental movement created last year in the United Kingdom.
As explained in Libé this summer , by the lecturer in sociology at the University of Lille Yann Le Lann, coordinator of Critical Quantity, a collective of academics interested in the profiles of environmental activists, radicalism, ' in the environmental movement, refers to various dimensions: that of kinds of actions that are allowed, the daily practice that is encouraged, and the political changes that are hoped for' .
Nelly Didelot, a journalist who follows "XR" for Liberation and sometimes calls it "radical" in articles , summarizes the reasons for choosing this adjective: "The militants I meet in the field claim to be radicals themselves, in the means they use and the objectives they aim for. "
"Radicalness mostly in the objectives"
The Twitter profile of the French Extinction Rebellion reports this radicalness proclaimed at least in terms of objectives. XR describes itself as: "an International movement of non-violent civil disobedience to foster a radical change and thus minimize the risk of ecological collapse."
One of the "rebels" , as they call each other, in charge of press relations states: "In terms of objectives, we are clearly radical, because we want to go to the root of problems. We want to treat the root causes and not the effects. For us this root is a lack of respect for life, a culture of exploitation. That's what we're tackling. Certainly the economic system has allowed the destruction of biodiversity. But this economic system is itself carried by values, which we oppose. "
Our interlocutor is saying the same thing as what is found in several documents published by Extinction Rebellion. Who speak of a necessary "radical transformation of this toxic system" in a document to the press in March, a "system of rapid change, radical" in the 'adherence pledge' of militants, or a " radical change of course " in a press conference in July. In a text read by activists during an action in Lyon, the point is clear: "We are a radically ecologist movement, and radically non-violent. Radical because we require nothing less than what is necessary. "
So much for the purposes of Extinction Rebellion. However, regarding its methods, the rebel-press secretary of XR explained: "In everyday vocabulary, the radical term is used to denounce extremist behavior. We are not extremists, we are non-violent, " says the activist. And to complete: "The marches, petitions, changes in personal behavior are not enough. We want to put pressure on political and economic forces and that is why we engage in civil disobedience, but without destructive behavior, without violence. These can be considered as radical methods. But for us the radicality is rather in the objectives. "
"The end of capitalism is not our aim ..."
Describing XR as a "radicalized movement" , Emeritus research director at Cevipof, Daniel Boy believes in a (rather critical) forum of Le Monde that "the posture of absolute radicality, that is to say, the refusal to enter into a logic of negotiation, and therefore of compromise with politics, ensures the good conscience of the movement: no compromise, no moral compromise. But this position of extraterritoriality also leads the movement to a lack of concrete results, and therefore to impotence.
In contrast, Extinction Rebellion is considered too timid by a whole section of the radical left. To point, online, the mockery of several Twitter accounts: "For the moment the world of media ecology that practicess yoga in downtown Paris seems to totally ignore that of the real ecology mouvement that occupies, concretely fights against projects, and suffers repression " , advances annoyed Nantes Révoltée to denounce Extinction Rebellion as a " sensationionalist organization that promotes a mystical and closed form of pacifism " and multiplies ironic tweets on their efforts. Although initially they seemed to support the occupation of Italy-2, calling to join the occupation .
An XR activist wipes slogans from the Pont au Change bridge
The anarchist and eco account Braziers et cerisiers, for its part, imagined a XR coordinator saying to the activist: "Calling the end of capitalism is not our aim ... not too disappointed? Help us instead to clean these antipolice tags and carve a tree out of playdough. Put all your rage into it to sublimate it! "
"Overall, we have very different points of view"
Some Internet users have also shown distaste for the banner recently produceded by the Paris movement: "United against all violence" . That is to say that of the police, and that of "those who oppose them" .
Ah oui la fameuse banderole décidée hier pour "condamner les violences de la police ET de ceux qui s'en prennent à eux" ils l'ont vraiment faite finalement https://twitter.com/XtinctionRebel/status/1181456982877855744 …
The relationship between Rebellion Extinction and police forces also raises criticism in the UK, where activists have been heard chanting : "Police, we love you, we do it for your children." "This is not the fight we need, " comments an eco blog hosted on a British libertarian website .
The Press relations for Extinction Rebellion, France comments on the criticism: "According to our critics, we are to be attackedd for three things. First, the too festive character of our events. Then that we are financed by multinationals. And finally, that we may be radicalized and infiltrated by the far left. Each argument in itself contadicts the others. "
This variable perception of the radicality - or not - of the movement also exists internally, as reported by one activist to France Inter : "Globally we have very different points of view and in general everyone has their own feelings. It allows us to discuss, to open a bit of a debate about what everyone finds violent or not. Not everyone necessarily notices that finally it is very personal question and that we have no agreed on notion, vision or perception of violence. "
https://www.liberation.fr/checknews/2019/10/12/extinction-rebellion-est-il-un-mouvement-radical_1756697
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