VIDEO: COP21 Climate Conference: In Conversation With an Activist for Migrant Rights
Reporting for Truthdig from Paris, Sonali Kolhatkar speaks with migrant-rights activist Arturo Trejo about Wednesday's rally against the criminalization of migration.
Sonali Kolhatkar reports for Truthdig from Paris. See more of her COP21 coverage here.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP21, in Paris has been marred by a crackdown on dissent in the wake of the Islamic State attacks on Nov. 13. Among the people hardest hit by the French government’s security measures are migrant communities of color, especially in Paris.
READ: Why Are We Not Doing All We Can to Prevent Climate-Related Deaths?
Today, migrant-rights activists from the United States rallied in solidarity with their French counterparts in front of a detention center near Hippodrome de Vincennes. In 2008, that detention center was the site of major protests after a Tunisian man died in custody.
The action was a spirited gathering that featured music, song and large, colorful banners in English and French. Many rallied around the idea that environmental injustice is linked to migration. But there was also a focus on growing Islamophobia — a particularly crucial issue even in the U.S., where GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump this week called for the banning of Muslims entering the U.S.
READ: Chris Hedges: Apocalyptic Capitalism
Arturo Trejo, an activist with the Southwest Workers’ Union in San Antonio, Texas, attended Wednesday’s migrant rights rally. I spoke with him about why he is in Paris and what happened at the gathering today.
Meanwhile, Paris authorities have clearly taken their role as host city to COP21 quite seriously. The city is awash in references to the conference, starting at the Charles de Gaulle Airport. A large and ambitious installation on renewable energy and conservation technologies lines the River Seine. The interactive exhibits are slick, with corporate-style buzzwords. They include eco-toilets, trash compacting and electric vehicles.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
Environment
In a state where the sun can shine all day, the climate milestone could make central Alaska "feel like 110."
Environment
The state recently took the first step to potentially becoming a leader in next-generation nuclear energy.
Education
Students learn about regulating methane emissions, but not about the clear benefits of eating less meat.
Environment
The "Sabotage" podcast tells the stories of the real people behind Just Stop Oil's controversial environmental stunts.
Environment
Climate change deaths are largely underreported as the crisis impacts millions and strains an already overburdened health care system.
TD Original
Inside the battle to advance state-level climate action under Trump 2.0.