Extinction Rebellion target LafargeHolcim's Paris facility

Members of Extinction Rebellion protested at LafargeHolcim’s ready-mix concrete operations in Paris, last week, denouncing what they called the firm's environmentally damaging pursuit of profit.

The protest forced the company to halt operations at the Port de Javel site and divert trucks to another site.

Loic Leuliette, a spokesperson for LafargeHolcim France, said the company was investing in greener cement. A day earlier, the protesters, who include activists from the NGO Soulevements de la Terre, targetted another LafargeHolcim site on the northern fringe of Paris.

Leuliette said the unit at the site of Wednesday's protest was due to be replaced with a more modern plant in 2022. "If there is one thing we share with the protesters, it's concern for the environment. But our responsibility is to supply cement to the construction sector," Leuliette said. "The cement from here builds hospitals and schools."