Climate activists clash with police ahead of TotalEnergies AGM

Paris, May 26 (EFE).- Hundreds of climate activists tried to block people from entering the TotalEnergies annual shareholders meeting on Friday as police tried to disperse protestors.

The activists, which were gathered by a coalition of various environmental organizations, tried to prevent the access of TotalEnergies shareholders and employees to the Salle Pleyel venue, in downtown Paris, by sitting on the road in front of the building.

The protest sparked clashes with the police who used tear gas against a group that was blocking access to the venue.

The oil giant called for “calm” and condemned “all forms of violence, verbal or physical,” a statement on social media read.

Despite the protest the annual general meeting got underway, albeit late.

Shareholders trying to access the meeting’s venue had to identify themselves to police officers who had cordoned off the area as activists shouted at the attendees and chanted slogans.

Friday’s clashes came after another environmental protest targeted the Shell AGM in London where activists, including members of the Extinction Rebellion group, disrupted the meeting for half an hour.

The TotalEnergies meeting is set to review a resolution filed by a group of 17 minority shareholders of the company (including several investment banks) calling on the oil and gas corporation to accelerate efforts to combat climate change.

France’s energy transition minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, called on TotalEnergies to speed up investments in renewable energies, FranceInfo quoted her as saying.

TotalEnergies achieved a record profit of 20.5 billion dollars last year, 28% more than in 2021, despite 15 billion in write-offs on its Russian businesses. EFE

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