Eight arrested as climate activists break into chemicals plant in France

Several hundred protesters
briefly broke into a plant owned by chemicals group Arkema near
Lyon in southeastern France on Saturday to protest against
alleged pollution from the site and eight people were arrested,
local authorities said on Saturday.
“An action was carried out by radical activists against the
Arkema company in Pierre Benite in early afternoon … Police
quickly intervened to prevent damage and eight individuals have
already been arrested,” a government official for the
Auvergne-Rhone region wrote on X.
Video footage from climate movement Extinction Rebellion on
X and from BFM TV showed activists clad in white breaking into
the site, writing “murderers” in red paint on the walls and
breaking doors and materials to draw attention to the discharge
of PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that are not
bio-degradable.
In a statement condemning the action, Arkema said its teams
were now inspecting the site to make sure it was safe as well as
assessing damage.