Evictions, urban cleansing, and Climate Talks in Paris

The authors describe the violent eviction of a refugee collective in Les Lilas and argue that the French government is implementing a 'zero tolerance policy' to remove vulnerable populations, including refugees and homeless people, from Paris before the COP21 climate talks and the 2016 Football Euro Cup. They highlight a 50% increase in homelessness in France over the last decade and contrast the government's stated commitment to humanity during climate negotiations with its domestic treatment of marginalized groups.

• Authorities in Paris are engaging in 'urban cleansing' to remove invisible or vulnerable populations from the city in preparation for high-profile events, specifically the COP21 climate talks and the 2016 Football Euro Cup.
• A 'zero tolerance policy' has been active for over a year, targeting refugees, Roma people, inhabitants of squats and shanty homes, homeless individuals, and organizations providing aid to these groups.
• The number of homeless people in France has increased by 50% over the previous ten years due to rising poverty.
• On August 31st, riot police used violence and tear gas to evict a refugee collective, primarily composed of men from Mali, from a building in Les Lilas, despite the occupants having lived there for 10 days.

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} }