Eco-Activists Protest Near Elysee Palace in Paris, Call For Action in Amazon Deforestation - Photos

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Greenpeace France activists have blocked the entrance of the Paris presidential Elysee Palace to draw French President Emmanuel Macron's attention to the problem of deforestation in the Amazon region, the organization said on Thursday.

Some of the activists barricaded themselves in a fire truck blocking the entrance to the building.

"Our activists block access to the Elysee Palace with a fire truck and denounce the inaction of @EmmanuelMacron in the face of the destruction of the Amazon. The journalists present on the spot are driven away by the police," Greenpeace France tweeted, also posting a photo of a large banner with a description that reads "Amazon Rain Forest On Fire. Macron Still Complicit".

Paris : Greenpeace dénonce l’inaction de Macron contre la déforestation devant l’Elysée
➡️ https://t.co/syzolStokY pic.twitter.com/18t4REoSHN

— Le Parisien Ma Terre (@LP_MaTerre) September 10, 2020

​Some activists were arrested by the police during the demonstration, the organization said.

🇫🇷 FLASH - #Greenpeace dénonce l’inaction de #Macron contre la #déforestation en #Amazonie. Une quinzaine de #militants se sont rassemblés à proximité de l’#Elysée. Ils ont utilisé un camion de #pompiers pour bloquer l'accès à la rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré. (LP) #Paris pic.twitter.com/5VgRUsEYfa

— Conflits France (@ConflitsFr_) September 10, 2020

​The activists decry Macron's inaction over the Amazon wildfires, which have worsened over the summer, making the 2020 year just as destructive as the last. In particular, they condemn imports of several million tonnes of Brazilian soybeans to France, which contributes to the deforestation of the region.

According to Yale University’s Global Forest Atlas, 80 percent of Amazon deforestation is caused by intentional fires set up by farmers and ranchers to clear land for cattle.