| Illegal climate activism: winning without convincing

In recent years, climate activists have regularly taken public space hostage. It doesn't seem to bother them that this form of action is having difficulty winning over the general public: by their own admission, they don't want to rally.

Golf courses ravaged, roads blocked, a television broadcast interrupted, an international airport shut down… Illegal protests by various alarmist fringe groups concerned with climate change have been occurring one after another in recent months. As these movements continue to make headlines, more and more critical voices are speaking out.

In Germany, a recent survey shows that 76% of the population opposes the methods used. It's the same story in France, where 72% of respondents believe that such actions are pointless. Overall, respondents in these countries feel that the measures taken by governments are insufficient, but that these high-profile operations do not promote change.

General frustration

«I can't stand these climate activists anymore,» said National Council member Jacqueline de Quattro (PLR/VD) in the pages of Blick in mid-April. For her, the blockade of the Gotthard Highway by the Renovate Switzerland collective over the Easter weekend was the last straw. The lawmaker considers this tactic to be counterproductive. The national chairman of her party, Thierry Burkart, also believes that the justice system is not strict enough toward activists who engage in illegal civil disobedience, who «act in a criminal manner.».

Even within the Green Party, the controversy is evident. Bernhard Pulver, a co-founder of the party, recently distanced himself from these groups on Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS): «I don’t take the same approach. I think illegal actions are problematic for us. These activists may be advocating for the same cause, but I’m not convinced that it helps the environmental cause. (…) Since we live in a democracy, we have to win over majorities. That’s the only way to find solutions to the climate crisis.».

«My role isn't to make people like me»

That is indeed the crux of the matter. Yet it turns out that even though extremist climate activists find little support, this does not seem to bother them. A local example illustrates the point. Vincent Zeder, spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Geneva, interrupted the Léman Bleu outdoor broadcast during the cantonal elections in late April to draw attention to the climate emergency. The video clip quickly went viral, but Zeder himself remains steadfast: «My role isn’t to make people like me,», he told the channel's editor-in-chief, Jérémy Seydoux, who invited him to have a more calm discussion three days after the incident.

In Germany, the same message is being promoted by the Letzte Generation collective. Simon, an active member of the group, spoke out last week in Le Temps: «We’re not here to be loved, but to achieve our goals.»

Green Dictate

This raises the question: Why are they taking action if not to convince others? If it’s too late to address the climate crisis, then what’s the point of protesting, other than to play the role of doomsday prophets? Above all, why talk about urgency? And if, on the contrary, the situation can still be improved, wouldn’t it make more sense to try to convince the public in order to bring about effective and voluntary behavioral change?

The key to this mystery undoubtedly lies elsewhere. Perhaps the refusal to engage in rational debate simply reflects a totalitarian-style desire to dictate new values that the majority should follow in the name of the cause’s legitimacy. After all, this could explain why these movements lack popularity among the general public, who at the same time view climate change as a real problem. And that’s just fine.

Write to the author: max.frei@leregardlibre.com

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Related: Our editor-in-chief, Jonas Follonier, recently participated in a debate on the RTS program «Forum» as a correspondent at the Federal Palace for L’Agefi: