Extinction Rebellion activists scale Eiffel Tower to open week of climate action

French activists from climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion have launched a week of civil disobedience events across France by hanging a banner reading "REBEL" from Paris's Eiffel Tower.

Exctinction Rebellion activists unfurled banners forming the word "Rebel" on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower on 11 October, 2020 in Paris. © AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin

Eight activists from Extinction Rebellion scaled the Eiffel Tower on Sunday to unfurl their banner from the tower's first tier. 

Organisers said that in addition to the eight climbers, another dozen Extinction Rebellion activists were inside the monument to help with the unfurling of the giant pink banner emblazoned with black letters.

Après le déploiement d’une banderole géante « REBEL » au premier étage de la Tour Eiffel, l’action de @xrFrance continue place du Trocadéro ! #ExtinctionRebellion pic.twitter.com/xgwTZxJtGk

— Julia (@julia_gln) October 11, 2020

"The public health crisis reinforces our message," activist Lea Lecouple said outside the Paris landmark. "Covid is just a symptom. It takes a virus to bring the economy to its knees. We've seen that CO2 emissions can stop, that airplanes can be grounded."

"We want to say: 'Stop everything! Let's open our eyes, this is an emergency'," she added.

The banner on the Eiffel Tower was hung for less than an hour, until the police intervened and arrested the twenty or so activists on the spot.

(with AFP)