What Grows Everywhere: Earth Uprisings and the Transformation of French Environmental Activism

Sammanfattning

This study explores the recent transformations of environmental movements in France and the consequences thereof. To this aim, it focuses on the case of the environmental group Earth Uprisings (Les Soulèvements de la Terre) and its conflict with the French government. Formed in 2021, Earth Uprisings is an alliance of environmental activists and diverse actors, including radical-left groups, progressive farmers, and local associations. The group is known for organising locally-focused protests against industrial and development projects, employing direct action tactics such as blockades, land occupations, and sabotage. These actions have led to a contentious relationship with the French government, which labelled the group's activities as ecoterrorism and sought to outlaw it—a decision later overturned in court. The study focuses on the environmental activists who joined Earth Uprisings, analysing how their view on previous campaigns influenced the decision to join the movement. Additionally, it explores how the formation of Earth Uprisings has transformed environmental activism in France and has intensified its conflict with the government. The study employs Poststructuralist Discourse Theory and the Logics of Critical Explanation method, viewing the case through the lens of political discursive practices. To address the research purposes, this study primarily relies on data from interviews with Earth Uprisings members, supplemented by a variety of other sources to strengthen the analysis. The findings contribute to understanding the evolving dynamics of environmental movements and the resurgence of political conflicts around environmentalism in Europe, highlighting trends that warrant further investigation.