French court annuls ban of climate movement over ‘eco-terrorism’ claims

France’s top administrative court Thursday annulled a government decision to ban a climate activist movement after it repeatedly clashed with the police during protests.

Although the climate group "engaged in provocative and violent acts against property," its disbanding was "not appropriate, necessary and proportionate to the situation," the French Council of State found, declaring the interior ministry's order to disband the organization null and void.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin in June ordered the leaderless climate group Les Soulèvements de la Terre (“Uprisings of the earth”) to be disbanded following violent clashes between campaigners and the police during protests against the construction of large water reservoirs in western France. Darmanin argued that the activists were inciting “eco-terrorism” across the country, and 18 people were arrested.

Judges temporarily suspended the government’s disbanding order in August, arguing it restricted the activists’ freedom of assembly and that the interior ministry did not provide enough evidence to back up its claim that the climate movement was inciting violence.

Thursday’s ruling upholds this initial decision.

The activist group, created in 2021, counts more than 150,000 supporters and is made up of close to 200 local groupings. It has no clear leadership structure and isn’t officially registered as an association or nonprofit organization — making it difficult to disband.

Since the August ruling, Les Soulèvements de la Terre has staged protests targeting other big infrastructure projects, such as highways, over their alleged negative environmental impact.