Here’s a few of the things that I spent my time doing.
The place I went to the most was Jardin D’Alice, or “Garden of Alice” (as in, Alice in Wonderland). This beautiful space is an artist’s squat that became the primary place where art was made during the COP. In the first week I mainly helped with the shields that the Indigenous Environmental Network were creating that said “Defend Protect Renew” (I didn’t get a pic but that’s the design). I also contributed to a bunch of other banners, including the 105 metre “It’s up to us to keep it in the ground” red line (below), as well as inflatables, arrows and several other creations.
Although making art was a big draw for me, the main reason I felt myself pulled back there was for the people. Each of the ten days I entered this space I discovered more and more fantastic, inspiring people. I met people from all over the world, each bringing their ideas and creativity. The space was rejuvenating and I felt at home there. I also attended several meetings there, largely of youth action planning meetings, and enjoyed many free/by donation vegan meals—big shoutout to the cooks who kept us fed!
I only went to “Le Bourget” once. This is where the COP negotiations were being held, and although I wasn’t allowed into the negotiations area there was an area where the public was welcome. I mostly felt drained in this space, where the (false) Solutions COP corporations companies had greenwashing stands (including a “EU China Trade Company” that didn’t mention climate in any of their text) and the NGOs seemed to be competing to show how wonderful they are (some of them are pretty cool). I joined a quiet protest (loud chanting wasn’t allowed), a die-in, and I put a canceled sign up and tweeted (pic) “I'm at the #COP21 right now and it looks like @SolutionsCOP21 is canceled?” The coolest thing I experienced there (and this was one of the coolest things I’ve seen all year) was a Peruvian indigenous woman who was telling a group of us about the work she’d been doing—how she’s using the celebration of the female orgasm as a tool to empower women and combat the sexist machismo culture that is rampant in Peru! I also received the colourful shawl from her that I’m wearing in this pic:
One night walking home I was mugged. Unexpected. But not wholly bad. Two guys grabbed my wallet, and as one took the money out the other tried to de-escalate, explaining that they would only take the money (€20 was all I had) and “weren’t normally this violent”. I used the opportunity to talk with them about how shit capitalist society is and the need to reject the system. After a police car drove by they asked me to walk with them, and although I accepted the cigarette they offered me as we walked I politely declined the crack pipe and took the opportunity to turn around and continue home.
Another night I got to see Thom Yorke, Patti Smith, Flea, Vandana Shiva, Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, and other artists and activists from around the world. It was good music and a good show. The next night I saw Aku Matu, an indigenous artist who touched me deeply with her powerful and vulnerable lyrics, and the night then turned into an incredible anarchist rave, followed by a bunch of us wandering the streets into the small hours of the morning, singing and dancing to French music accompanied by an accordion.
At Le Louvre art gallery there was an action to pressure the gallery to stop taking money from fossil fuel companies. There was a heavy police presence and they had set up a fence to search people as they got close. Somehow they detected that I might not be your average tourist and didn’t let me enter. So when those who had managed to get in put up their umbrellas that spelled out “Fossil Free Culture” I raised my umbrella in solidarity outside the fence. Instantly a dozen police surrounded me and physically forced my umbrella arm down, even as I tried to explain to them “but the (wintry) sun is so bright and my poor pale skin couldn’t take it. Please, the sun, it hurts, it hurts, I need shade.” They didn’t seem amused, yet wouldn’t tell me why I was surrounded and whether or not I was under arrest (for putting up an umbrella!). After letting me go they started harassing someone else so I started to film them. This forced accountability seemed to make them uncomfortable, so after stealing the person’s tiny penknife and letting that person go they again surrounded me and force-searched me in a pathetic attempt to intimidate me. They didn’t find my penknife. Losers.
The final event I went to in Paris was the Climate Games awards ceremony, where we watched and cheered for our favourite creative and fun videos of direct actions people had done over the previous two weeks. Their website has built up a fantastic database of creative direct actions, which I encourage people to use when they’re looking for ideas for their own actions. The night turned into another dance party, where the band Filastine played and we danced the night away.
Thank you, Paris, for the space to create, make connections and dance.
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