Fog and smog swallow up the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Monday, Nov.2, 2015. Paris authorities have put in place measures to limit traffic after high levels of pollution in the French capital. France is proposing the automatic updating of countries’ emissions targets in a climate deal to be thrashed out at a UN conference in Paris beginning later this month. AP
PARIS — Environmental activists said Monday that they want to go ahead with plans to march in Paris before the UN climate summit later this month, despite the attacks in the French capital.
A coalition of activist groups including Avaaz, Greenpeace and 350.org said that they intend to “hold all the mobilizations currently planned,” including a march set for Nov. 29, the day before the conference begins.
Demonstrations have been banned in France after a state of emergency was declared following the attacks that killed 129 people on Friday.
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The environmental groups were set to meet French authorities on Tuesday to discuss how to move forward. The planned route of the march runs right through some of the areas that were attacked.
“The tragedy in Paris has only strengthened our resolve,” said Nicolas Haeringer of 350.org. “We can think of few better responses to violence and terror than this movement’s push for peace and hope.”
Organizers have been preparing for the march for months, hoping for tens of thousands of people to take part.
The conference itself, at which countries are supposed to adopt a new global agreement to fight climate change, is scheduled to go ahead as planned. On Monday, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said no world leader has asked for the conference to be delayed, but some side events might be canceled.