French court overturns government decree to disband 'Earth Uprising' climate group

Demonstrators hold placards reading "We are the Uprisings!" during a protest against the dissolution of "Les Soulevements de la Terre" (“Uprisings of the Earth”) activist group in front of France’s Conseil d'Etat in Paris, October 27, 2023. © Stefano Rellandini, AFP

France's top administrative court overturned the government-ordered dissolution of a climate activist group, Les Soulèvements de la Terre ("Earth Uprising", or SLT) on Thursday, ruling the group had not provoked violence. 

"The dissolution of SLT did not constitute an appropriate, necessary and proportionate measure to the seriousness of the disturbances likely to be caused to public order," France's Council of State said in a statement.