Extinction Rebellion launched a new punch action on Monday. The Lausanne branch of the environmental movement has blocked the premises of the international freight transport company Ifchor, at Place Pépinet, in the heart of the Vaud capital. Three other actions took place in parallel in Geneva, at the headquarters of the companies Cargill, Mercuria Group and Vitol.
In Lausanne, around sixty activists entered the premises of Ifchor, active in the maritime transport of oil. The police offered to leave them, assuring them that they would not be arrested, which the demonstrators accepted. Around 11 a.m., there were still around sixty mobilized at Place Pépinet, some of them in disguise. The occupation lasted less than an hour.
In a leaflet distributed to passers-by, activists denounce the ecocides practiced by these companies. “These companies did not settle in Switzerland by chance, if they are here, it is because they benefit from preferential tax regimes (therefore unequal compared to the rest of the population) and from the financial support of Swiss banks which, Credit Suisse and UBS in mind, make fun of biodiversity and the climate as long as the return on investment is monetary, ”they argue.
The group calls on the President of the Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga: “Biodiversity is like the Eiffel Tower. If you remove a screw every day, nothing happens, but one day, one less screw and the whole tower collapses. ”
We are blocking the oil freight business @IfchorGroup at #Lausanne. The maritime industry in 5th position of the most polluting sectors in the world – responsible for the ecocide that we are living.#ExtinctionRebellion #ClimateCrisis pic.twitter.com/18k4dr0C67
– Extinction Rebellion Lausanne (@xrlausanne) February 17, 2020
Exceptional action by @xrlausanne to denounce the impact of the private sector on global warming. Nearly 200 activists are blocking the entry of 4 companies specializing in trading. #Mercuria, #Cargill, #Vitol in Geneva, and #ifchor in Lausanne pic.twitter.com/tBxQv2K3GG
– Fabien Grenon (@FabienGrenon) February 17, 2020
Created: 17.02.2020, 11h26