PARIS: Two climate activists spray-painted the front entrance of the French prime minister’s office on Wednesday in protest at what campaign group Derniere Renovation (Last Renovation) called “climate crimes” committed by the state.

Video of the protest action seen by this news agency showed police arresting the two activists, who wore T-shirts with the slogan “Who is guilty?”.

In a statement, Derniere Renovation said the state had failed to meet commitments to help fight climate change.

There was no immediate reaction from Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne’s office.

France’s highest administrative court last year ordered the state to pay two 10 million euro ($10.6 million) fines for failing to improve air quality in major cities.

The penalties came on top of another 10 million euro fine for the same reason in 2021. In 2017 the same court ordered the government to cut levels of nitrogen dioxide and fine particles in more than a dozen zones to comply with European standards.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2023