As we walked Paris last night, on the eve of the UN climate summit, we were reminded about how extraordinary a moment this is. Despite a ban on demonstrations, climate protesters gathered at the Place de la République in defiance yesterday afternoon. Activists showed their symbolic presence by laying down hundreds of shoes in the square, including Pope Francis’s formal black shoes and running sneakers from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Later that evening, a solemn spirit occupied the square. Around the base of the bronze 30-foot sculpture of Marianne, a makeshift shrine reveres those slain on Nov 13 nearby at the Bataclan theater. It reminds us of the city’s still-open wounds. Last night the candles burned alongside the left shoes and messages for climate action. This is the kind of resilient creativity the world associates with Paris.
Unbeknownst to us, just down the block last night, President Obama, French President Hollande and Paris’ Mayor Ana Hidalgo were also paying tribute at the site of the Bataclan. Our first day in Paris was eerily quiet as the city is still in a state of emergency. It made climbing the Eiffel Tower for our students a rather quiet affair compared to the usual throngs of tourists.
Today we make our way to the COP21 site for the opening of this historic meeting – an expected gathering of 150 Heads of State, the largest ever. A record 40,000 observers will also be present.
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