Shoes stand in silent protest at Paris climate conference
CBC News | Posted: November 29, 2015 7:15 PM | Last Updated: November 30, 2015
More than 20,000 pairs of shoes laid out in the Place de la République as part of symbolic rally
Image | CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT Paris COP21
Caption: A banner which reads 'Global Climate March' is displayed in front of pairs of shoes symbolically placed on the Place de la République on Sunday. Thousands of activists took to the streets of Paris ahead of climate summit, despite a ban on public demonstrations following the Nov. 13 attacks. (Eric Gaillard/Reuters)
Protesters place hundreds of pairs of shoes at Place de la République
Parisians dropped off their footwear in the Place de la République as part of a symbolic and peaceful rally called by the NGO Avaaz.
Image | CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT PARIS COP21
Caption: The Place de la Republique is covered with hundreds of pairs of shoes ahead of the UN climate summit in Paris, Nov. 29. (Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty)
Image | APTOPIX France Climate Countdown
Caption: A man walks among hundreds of pairs of shoes at Place de la République. (Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press)
Image | France Climate Countdown
Caption: (Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press)
Among the mix of flips flops, winter boots and high heels was footwear from notable activists including Pope Francis's formal black shoes, running shoes from UN chief Ban Ki-moon and high heels from designer Vivienne Westwood.
Image | France Climate Countdown
Caption: Pope Francis's shoes are among hundreds of pairs in Paris. (Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press)
Long-planned climate march in Paris ahead of this week's UN conference was cancelled due to security fears.
There is a ban on public demonstrations in Paris in the wake of the Nov.13 attacks, but thousands of activists and protesters decided to ignore it on Sunday. Many formed a human chain along the route of the planned climate march.
Image | France Climate Countdown
Caption: Protesters linked arms together in solidarity for climate action. A couple in the linked chain kissed in front of riot police officers. (Thibault Camus/Associated Press)
Image | CLIMATECHANGE-SUMMIT/
Caption: Several of the protesters in the human chain donned clown costumes. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters)
But the unauthorized Paris demonstration turned violent.
The protest turned into a clash between French police and activists gathered in the streets of Paris. Michel Cadot, the Paris police chief, told reporters that police identified 200 to 300 people who violated a ban on all protests under the country's state of emergency.
Cadot said about 100 demonstrators were detained for pelting security forces with glass bottles and even some of the candles that were placed at Place de la République to honour victims of the attacks.
Image | CLIMATECHANGE-SUMMIT/
Caption: Riot policemen spray demonstrators near the Place de la République after the cancellation of a planned climate march in Paris on Sunday. (Eric Gaillard/Reuters)
Image | France Climate Countdown
Caption: (Christophe Ena/Associated Press)
Image | France Climate Countdown
Caption: Riot police arrest an activist during Sunday's climate protests in Paris. The city's police chief told reporters 100 protesters were detained. (Thibault Camus/Associated Press)
Paris police set off many rounds of tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Image | APTOPIX France Climate Countdown
Caption: (Christophe Ena/Associated Press)
Image | France Climate Countdown
Caption: (Christophe Ena/Associated Press)
Image | APTOPIX France Climate Countdown
Caption: (Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press)
The CBC's Nahlah Ayed is in Paris covering the conference and gave an update on the situation at Place de la République.
Media Video | (not specified) : Tear gas at Paris climate change protest
Caption: CBC's Nahlah Ayed says police and climate change protesters have clashed at Place de la Republique
Caption: In Bogota, Colombia, there was a silent march to bring attention to climate change. Here, a woman holds incense. (Fernando Vergara/Associated Press)
Image | Monaco France Climate Countdown
Caption: Prince Albert II of Monaco with his wife Princess Charlene and their twins, Prince Jacques, right, and Princess Gabriella, take part in the World Climate March in Monaco. (Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press)
Image | Britain Climate Countdown
Caption: Climate demonstrators move through the streets of central London, campaigning for ambitious action to tackle climate change on Sunday. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP)
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