Hero Tour de France fans tackle militant eco-protesters

2022-07-24

Tour de France fans take justice into their own hands and tackle militant eco-protesters before dragging them off the road to stop them blocking the race

Climate activists hold fourth action at Tour de France and are stopped by fans who dragged them away
Those who were out watching the race ‘removed’ Dernière Rénovation who were protesting on Saturday
Police arrived later and arrested eight activists from the sideline of the competition before it finished today

Tour de France fans took matters into their own hands yesterday as they removed eco-protesters threatening to disrupt the event by blocking the road.

Eight climate activists from Dernière Rénovation (Last Renovation) wearing T-shirts saying ‘we have 978 days left’ to tackle the environment tried to stop the race during the 20th stage between Lacapelle-Marival and Rocamadouron on Saturday.

But they were thwarted by spectators, which the militant eco-protesters admitted ‘removed’ them from the road even ‘before the police’ had arrived to later arrest the activists.

The fans were pictured pushing the protesters off the road in Gramat and grabbing them to stop them from preventing the race.

Started earlier this year, Dernière Rénovation are part of the same international group, the A22, as Just Stop Oil, and employ similar tactics such as gluing themselves to the road and disrupting major events.

The group has hit the cycling competition four times before the Tour De France ends today on the Champs-Élysées in Paris and has promised more action.

Hero Tour de France fans have taken justice into the own hands to remove eco-protesters threatening to disrupt the event by blocking the road. Pictured: People push the protesters away from the path of the oncoming Tour de France, between Lacapelle Marival and Rocamadour, in Gramat

Protestors at Tour de France were also videoed and pictured previously being removed in early July by Tour De France officials

Environmental collective ‘Last Renovation’ activists demonstrated on the road, and block the Tour de France, between Lacapelle Marival and Rocamadour, in Gramat, France, on Friday, July 23 before spectators dragged them away

Activists who demonstrated on the road, and blocked the Tour de France are pictured being handcuffed by police on Saturday

The climate activists from Dernière Rénovation were wearing T-shirts saying ‘we have 978 days left’ as they were arrested by police on Saturday

In a press release the group said: ‘We will start again as many times as necessary to make our government react.

‘Not a day should go by without the climate emergency being at the heart of the political agenda.’

Cédric, a 49-year-old engineer from Dernière Rénovation said on Saturday: ‘I know a lot of people won’t understand this action. I’m on this road because I’m terrified of the world my children and the people I love will come to know.

‘I do my best to do what seems right and necessary to me. To prevent millions of people from living in a world of immense suffering, wars and famines.

‘I am determined to do everything in my power, rather than remain in denial and inaction where our government takes refuge. I can’t be 100% sure what I’m doing is the best solution, but I know it’ll always be better than not trying.’

A protester is held down by police as the Dernière Rénovation holds a protest at the Tour De France this month

All of the protesters from Dernière Rénovation being detained by police on Saturday

Eco warriors are seen on the ground at a Tour de France action as an organiser walks by this month

A man from Dernière Rénovation is held down by police as he is put in handcuffs on July 17

During a protest on Friday, six protesters – a total of four men and two women – were arrested by French police

‘At the end of their police custody, the six people were summoned to appear on November 22, 2022 before the Auch criminal court to be tried on the count of obstructing the circulation of vehicles’, declared the prosecutor of the Republic Jacques-Edouard Andrault.

They were released from police custody and face a two-year prison sentence and a fine of 4,500 euros, local media reported.

Activists were also said to have let off a smoke bomb about 150 km from the finish, between the villages of Boucagnères and Auterive, while five activists glued and chained themselves to the road.

Philippe Gilbert riding in the Tour de France said on Friday: ‘It’s a bit disappointing because there are other ways to protest. I hope they will be punished in proportion to their stupidity.’

Five people were also arrested trying block Stage 15 of the Tour De France on July 17, the group also said.

A protester is held by police wearing a T-shirt saying there are 984 days left as she is arrested earlier this month on July 17

The activists were pulled off the road by police, helped by a Tour official earlier this month

Two of the activists were sitting back-to-back tied together, while others let off smokebombs on July 12

The activists sat on the road some 36 kilometres (22 miles) from the finish in Megeve on July 12

Its spokesperson Sasha, said: ‘In the absence of a bill on the energy renovation of buildings, which is all the more necessary in the context of the war in Ukraine, we will continue to disrupt the normal functioning of the country, its infrastructure and sports competitions.’

The 10th stage of the Tour de France was also halted for 10 minutes earlier this month after half a dozen climate activists tried to stop riders on the road before being pulled out by police and a senior organisers’ official.

The activists, one of them wearing a t-shirt saying ‘We have 989 days left’, sat on the road some 36 kilometres (22 miles) from the finish in Megeve on July 12.

The activists were pulled off the road by police, helped by Tour organisers’ Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) general director Yann Le Moenner.

Dernière Rénovation also targetted the French Open on June 3 with demonstrations. A young woman ran onto the men’s semifinals and tied her neck to the net while wearing a T-shirt saying: ‘We have 1,028 days left’.

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