The Earth Uprisings: the Council of State cancels the dissolution of the environmentalist collective
The Council of State made a surprise decision on Thursday by canceling the decree dissolving the environmentalist collective Earth Uprisings, issued in June by the Ministry of the Interior. According to the highest administrative court, no provocation of violence against people can be attributed to the group, thus invalidating the arguments put forward by the government.
The dissolution of an association must be an exceptional measure, justified by serious disturbances to public order. However, in the case of the Earth Uprisings, no act of violence against people was noted. The images of confrontations with the police, relayed by the collective, cannot be interpreted as incitement to violence.
However, the Council of State recognizes that the collective was indeed responsible for provocations and violent acts against property. However, he considers that dissolution is not a measure adapted and proportionate to the seriousness of these disorders.
This decision by the Council of State highlights the importance of respecting freedom of association and the right to non-violent protest. It also highlights the need for the government to find alternative solutions to manage tensions between environmental movements and the authorities.
The Ministry of the Interior, although disappointed by this decision, managed to obtain the dissolution of three other associations considered more problematic: the Coordination against Racism and Islamophobia (CRI), the Alvarium, and the Antifascist Group Lyon and surroundings (GALE). These dissolutions were justified by the promotion of hate speech, discrimination and incitement to violence on the part of these groups.
It is important to emphasize that the Council of State recalls that the dissolution of an association can only be justified when it explicitly or implicitly incites violent acts against people or property. In the case of the Earth Uprisings, even if there were provocations and violent acts against property, this does not justify their dissolution.
This decision by the Council of State calls into question the way the government treats protest movements, emphasizing the need to guarantee freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest, even in the context of environmental movements. . It also highlights the government’s responsibility to find solutions to address the legitimate concerns of these movements without resorting to extreme measures of dissolution.