Paris, December 12, 2025 – To mark, or rather criticize, the tenth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement, Greenpeace pulled off a striking stunt: drenching the Place de l’Étoile in red paint. According to Le Parisien, activists unfurled several banners around the roundabout, including one that read "10 years of climate sabotage," aiming to highlight the lack of progress since 2015.
The action took place on Friday around 11:15 a.m., with a photographer from AFP documenting the scene. The activists, flanked by members of other environmental groups, used vehicles to spray paint—reportedly with natural pigments—on the cobblestones surrounding the Arc de Triomphe, even as traffic continued along the Champs-Élysées. As police arrived, the protesters quickly dispersed.
This anniversary comes at a time when the main goal of the agreement—to limit global warming to "well below 2°C" and strive for 1.5°C—appears increasingly out of reach in the near future. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other voices echo this alarming assessment. The most recent COP, held last November in Brazil, ended with modest commitments and made no mention of fossil fuels in its conclusions.
"You need to do something spectacular to grab the attention of journalists, the public, and the government," explains Jason Temaui Man to AFP. The Polynesian climate activist involved in the protest, according to Le Parisien, describes it as a powerful visual statement—a display of citizen frustration over inaction that may just awaken some consciences.
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