More than 170 climate activists arrested amid protests targeting TotalEnergies

More than 170 climate activists who had gathered outside the Paris headquarters of Amundi, one of the world’s biggest investment managers and a major TotalEnergies shareholder, were arrested, said the French police, on Friday (May 24). 

This comes as shareholders of French oil and gas major TotalEnergies had gathered for their annual meeting where the company’s chief floated the plan to develop new oil fields to meet global demand. 

Over 170 protesters arrested

The French police said that they arrested 173 people among hundreds who gathered outside the Paris headquarters of Amundi.  

The arrests came after members of the climate movement Extinction Rebellion forced their way into Amundi’s office, where the company was holding its annual general meeting (AGM), and damaged the building by drawing graffiti on the walls and smashing some windows, said the police. 

The company said eight of its security staff were injured during the altercation and that they would file a complaint and continue to be a major player in responsible investing.

Extinction Rebellion took to X and said that the company “has the power to prevent destructive fossil fuel projects such as the climate bomb EACOP,” referring to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline that TotalEnergies is developing in Uganda and Tanzania.

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Separately, members of Greenpeace unfurled a massive ‘Wanted’ banner and called TotalEnergies chief Patrick Pouyanne “the leader of France’s most polluting company” as the company was also holding its AGM. 

The banner, according to AFP, was quickly removed by the police. Notably, TotalEnergies had moved its AGM to its headquarters in the French capital’s La Defense business district for the first time, after significant disruption in the usual city centre location last year.

According to Pouyanne, more than 200 police personnel were deployed around the building. 

‘Murderous path’

During the meeting on Friday, most shareholders backed the French oil and gas major’s strategy and its CEO. However, the support has reportedly weakened since last year as some investors called out its insufficient response to climate change.

TotalEnergies’ progress report on sustainability and climate goals for 2030 was approved by 79.7 per cent of the shareholders compared to 88.8 per cent votes it had garnered last year, reported Reuters. 

Some investors said they would oppose Pouyanne’s position due to his insufficient attention to climate concerns, but he was reappointed as Chairman and CEO for the duration of his term on the board.

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Pouyanne told shareholders that higher oil prices prompted by insufficient fossil fuel output “would quickly become unbearable”. He noted that the demand for oil was growing in line with the global population. 

Therefore, he proposed that new oil fields had to be developed to keep up with the demand. 

Climate activists have accused TotalEnergies of contributing to global warming and the destruction of biodiversity through its gas and oil activities.

A member of the Fridays For Future youth climate action group described the decision to construct the EACOP as a “murderous path,” according to Reuters. 

(With inputs from agencies)