Attac France urges EDF to abandon its lawsuits against climate justice activists in the UK

Last October, sixteen activists of the climate justice group "No Dash for gas" occupied for a week two chimneys of the EDF West Burton plant to denounce the government's plan to build 40 new gas-fired plants. EDF has announced that it is suing these people for these peaceful civil disobedience action, for 5 million pounds. If the prosecution of EDF is successful, these activists will lose their homes and be forced to repay EDF a significant portion of their wages for decades to come. These 5 million pounds represent only 0.3% of the annual profits of EDF in the UK, which grew by 7.5% in 2012 to reach 1.7 billion pounds.

The French State is the major EDF shareholder (84.4%). If they maintain their prosecution, EDF and the French government will demonstrate how little importance they attach to climate change and democracy. Attac France invites unions, associations and political parties to support these twenty activists and denounce this act of intimidation designed to silence all those who would use non-violent civil disobedience actions to protest against social and environmental crimes.