Climate activists convicted for removing Macron portrait
BOURG-EN-BRESSE, France — Six French environmental activists have been convicted of theft for removing an official portrait of President Emmanuel Macron to protest his climate change policies.
Five activists were sentenced Wednesday to a suspended 500-euro fine — they won’t have to pay unless they commit the offence again. One, who has a previous conviction, will have to pay a 250-euro fine.
They were also ordered to give back Macron’s portrait to the town hall from where they took it in March.
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The verdict in the eastern town of Bourg-en-Bresse is the first of several similar trials across the country.
Internationally, Macron is a vocal champion of fighting climate change, but domestically activists accuse him of lagging on promises to wean France from fossil fuels.
Nicolas Vaux-Montagny, The Associated Press
