Paris feces protest: A call to action against the Olympic Games and international law

French citizens are known for their anti-government actions, as demonstrated by the Yellow Vest protests in 2018 that erupted after President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to increase fuel oil taxes (BBM) to finance the development of green energy. In recent weeks, the global community has once again been shocked by their actions. This time, Paris witnessed an unprecedented and controversial protest dubbed the “Paris defecation protest,” in which activists sought to defecate into the famous Seine River to draw attention to the French government’s alleged pollution and excessive spending in its efforts to clean up the river for the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics. These protests indeed attracted a great deal of media and public attention, raising doubts about the effectiveness of such unconventional methods in tackling environmental problems, as well as the role of international law in regulating such actions.

So how did this demonstration come about? It all started with the Seine, a major river in central Paris that has long been polluted and contaminated. Despite the French government’s €1.5 billion effort to clean up the river, concerns about water quality persist. Surfrider Foundation Europe conducted water tests in the Seine from September 2020 to March 2024 and found significant levels of bacteria, including E. coli and enterococci, that exceeded the permissible limits set by the sport’s governing body.

In response to these discoveries, President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced plans to swim in the Seine before the Olympics to demonstrate its safety. This initiative was met with skepticism and derision by Parisians, who were aware that the Seine was too polluted. The result was the creation of the satirical hashtag #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin, which translates to “I poop in the Seine on June 23”. The hashtag grew in popularity and a website was created to support the protest, with a countdown timer and a tool to calculate how long the waste itself would take to reach central Paris.

This protest, intended as a joke, quickly grew into a large-scale movement. Protesters declared that they were defecating in the Seine to draw attention to the government’s obvious inefficiency in cleaning it up. Moreover, the government was not conducting the cleanup for the benefit of the population, but because France wanted to host the Olympics. After the hashtag #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin went viral on social media, influencers joined the conversation and uploaded photos of the dirty Seine. Some of the effects of the trending action were a rise in public awareness. This demonstration drew attention to the ongoing pollution problem of the Seine and highlighted the need for more effective and long-term solutions. Of course, so did the government’s response, with the protests leading to the postponement of the swimming competition planned by French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo for June 23. The event was rescheduled for the week of July 15, barely two weeks before the Olympic swimming competition was due to begin. Finally, the protest attracted international attention and was covered by media and social media platforms. This raises questions about the role of international law in regulating such actions and shows that governments, international organizations and civil society must work together to find effective solutions.

As mentioned above, the Paris poop protest raises questions about the role of international law in regulating such behavior. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set water quality standards for Olympic competitions that the Seine River does not meet. IOC Executive Director Christophe Dubi expressed confidence that the water is safe, but ongoing concerns about pollution are clouding the upcoming Olympic celebrations.

In this sense, the protest could be seen as a form of civil disobedience, challenging the authority of the government and the IOC. However, both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) recognize the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression as international rights. Article 19 of the UDHR states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right includes freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.” This right includes the freedom to hold peaceful protests and demonstrations.

Furthermore, Article 21 of the ICCPR states: “The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is recognized. The exercise of this right shall not be restricted except when prescribed by law and is indispensable in a democratic society in the interests of democracy, national or public security, public order (ordre public), public health or morals or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.” This rule ensures that peaceful assembly is protected, and any restrictions must be justified.

On the other hand, the protests also raised concerns about public health and environmental safety. Defecation in the Seine could lead to increased contamination and pose a health risk to protesters and the population. This underlines the importance of striking a balance between the right to protest and the protection of public health and the environment. The World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the International Health Regulations (IHR) in 2005 with the aim of preventing and controlling the transmission of diseases. The regulations emphasize the need to protect public health and the environment. In this situation, the demonstration can be considered a violation of these standards because it poses further risks to public health and the environment.

In conclusion, the Paris poop protests, although unconventional, controversial and unique, underscore the need for more effective and long-term solutions to environmental problems. International law provides a framework for regulating such actions, striking a balance between the right to protest and the need to protect public health and the environment. These protests in Paris highlight broader issues of environmental policy, public health and governance, and raise critical questions about the role of international law in controlling such actions. It also highlights the importance of involving local communities and stakeholders in environmental policy decisions, as well as the need for stronger monitoring and enforcement measures to ensure compliance with environmental laws.