Evictions, urban cleansing, and Climate Talks in Paris

A statement by three climate activists describing the eviction of a refugee collective in the Parisian suburbs and alleging a broader campaign of 'urban cleansing' by French authorities ahead of COP21 and the 2016 Football Euro Cup.

• On August 31, 2015, riot police violently evicted a refugee collective known as The Baras from a squat in Les Lilas, using tear gas and arresting one member. The collective consisted primarily of men from Mali, many of whom were former gold mine workers for Western corporations who had fled repression and war in Libya.
• The authors argue that French authorities are conducting 'urban cleansing' to remove vulnerable populations—including homeless people, refugees, Roma people, and squatters—to maintain a specific image of the country before the COP21 climate talks and the 2016 Football Euro Cup.
• A 'zero tolerance policy' has reportedly been in effect for over a year, which includes prohibiting organizations from providing hot meals to homeless people. This occurs against a backdrop of rising poverty, with the percentage of homeless people in France increasing by 50% over the last ten years.

APA

Adèle, Clémence, & Angie (2015). Evictions, urban cleansing, and Climate Talks in Paris. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/evictions-urban-cleansing-and-climate-talks-in-paris/

Chicago

Adèle, Clémence, and Angie. Evictions, urban cleansing, and Climate Talks in Paris. Friends of the Earth International, 2015. https://www.foei.org/evictions-urban-cleansing-and-climate-talks-in-paris/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Adèle |last2=Clémence |last3=Angie |title=Evictions, urban cleansing, and Climate Talks in Paris |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=16 September 2015 |url=https://www.foei.org/evictions-urban-cleansing-and-climate-talks-in-paris/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{adle2015evictions, author = {Adèle and Clémence and Angie}, title = {{Evictions, urban cleansing, and Climate Talks in Paris}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://www.foei.org/evictions-urban-cleansing-and-climate-talks-in-paris/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }