The French government has announced its decision to shut down Les Soulevements de la Terre (SLT), an environmental activist group that has been involved in several protests against large-scale projects that threaten biodiversity and climate justice. The government accuses the group of inciting violence and sabotage, and labels it as an “eco-terrorist” organization.

However, many critics have denounced the move as an attack on freedom of expression and association, and a way to silence dissenting voices that challenge the government’s policies on environmental issues. They argue that the SLT is a broad coalition of local committees that use non-violent direct action to raise awareness and pressure decision-makers to act on the climate crisis.

The SLT has been at the forefront of several campaigns against projects such as a farm reservoir in western France, a rail link in the Alps, and a cement factory in southern France. The group claims that these projects are harmful to the environment and the local communities, and that they are incompatible with the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The group has also been vocal about the need for a radical transformation of the economic and social system, and has called for a “general uprising of the earth” to resist capitalism and ecological destruction. The group says that it will not be deterred by the government’s attempt to dissolve it, and that it will continue to fight for a more just and sustainable world.