March of the Century against climate change, police violence and social inequality [slideshow]

Door Jan van der Made

On March 16, 2019, some 45.000 gathered in front of the Opéra in Paris for converging demonstrations: to support the climate, for social justice and against repression

“Touche pas à ma planète - Hands off my planet,” reads this panel. “It is time to change the industrial, political and economic system to protect the environment, the society and the individual,” demonstration organizers say in their call to action

Not just a teddy bear – this bear, and his owner, look worried about what climate change may do to ice bears and other species

All generations gathered at the “March of the Century” with parents taking their children. This boy has a green penguin painted on his face

Older people also came, trying to change the government’s view of the world and urging a better protection of the nature

Some Yellow Vests had come over from other demonstrations held at the same time elsewhere in Paris

The March of the Century was organized dozens of NGO’s including humanitarian organizations and labor unions, and supported by some twelve political groups like the Green Party and the Independent Ecologist Movement

This woman supports France’s vegetarians, asking people to re-thing what they put on their plate

While the March of the Century attracted over 45.000 people, parallel Gilets Jaunes demonstrations, now in their 18th week, attracted less, but some of them came and have a look

A yellow vest activist protesting against Uber linked up with yet another demonstration that converged at the Place de l’Opéra

The demonstration against police violence suddenly walked straight through the one of the ecologists’ protests, but everything went peaceful

Demonstrators shout against excessive use of force by the police and the use of rubber bullets

Activists protesting social injustice hand out pamphlets, symbolically printed on yellow paper

The demonstrators carry large pictures of people who were injured or killed by the police

Preceding the demonstration against police violence is a group of dancing and singing men, trying to make way for the demonstrations while asking the onlookers to step aside

But the focus on March 16 was on the climate, and many used their creativity to express their thoughts, creating colorful ways to show their determination: “I have a green futere – nature”