Rescue workers scaled the 82ft roof of the iconic Cannes Lions Festival Palace in a desperate attempt to bring dozens of determined Greenpeace protesters to the ground as shocked festival-goers watched the chaotic scenes unfold before them.
Activists from the environmental organization caused major disruption to the event on Thursday by fiercely protesting the advertising industry’s partnership with oil and gas giants.
Protesters pulled out all the stops for their biggest stunt yet as they stormed the iconic Palais des Festivals – located at the heart of the festival – with signs reading ‘Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising’.
The protest brought the surrounding area to a halt as shocked festival-goers saw the organization block nearby roads for the stunt. No injuries were reported. It is not known how long the stunt lasted.
Dozens of activists then scaled an extendable ladder hooked to a fire truck in a desperate attempt to gain access to the roof of the Palace.
Two rooftop protesters held up a large sign referencing a popular meme, reading “It’s fine”.
The climbers also hung a banner that read, “Fossil ads are burning the planet.”
Back on the ground, activists called for a ban on fossil fuel advertising as they tried to get the attention of top media executives in the hope that they would cut ties with the fossil fuel industry.
“The fossil fuel industry uses advertising and sponsorship to clean up its image, delay climate action and secure political access,” Silvia Pastorelli, European unity campaigner for Greenpeace, said in a statement.
“When we see shiny billboards of the latest electric cars, what we don’t see is an industry that is only interested in expanding and continuing to extract oil, until ’till the last drop is used up, until we don’t have a planet to be creative on.”
Greenpeace France activist and former Cannes Lions award winner Gustav Martner staged a high-profile protest during the festival’s opening ceremony on Monday.
Protesting against the industry’s frequent use of fossil fuels, he dramatically interrupted the opening ceremony to return an award he had previously won at the event.
While on stage, he unfurled a banner that read, “No Price on a Dead Planet, Ban Fossil Ads!”
The Post has contacted Greenpeace for further comment.
Last month, around 250 Greenpeace activists blocked the entrance to a building belonging to TotalEnergies, where their annual meeting was being held. This decision prevented many shareholders from attending.
The stunt came on the heels of another protest last month, where Ukrainian environmental activists gathered in the capital Kyiv to protest EU payment for Russian fossil fuels under the ‘#EndFossilsandWars!’ ” country.
New York Post