As the end-of-year holidays approach, Dijon shines brightly, but this year, a local citizen movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR) Dijon, is highlighting the problems linked to overconsumption and the Miss France competition. In a press release published on December 17, 2023, XR Dijon calls for rethinking our festive traditions and questioning the standardization of society.
For several weeks, the city of Dijon has been immersed in the excitement of the holiday season. Christmas is fast approaching, and with it, the tradition of exchanging gifts. The big brands are rubbing their hands, but XR Dijon draws attention to the striking contrast between the overconsumption of December and the reality of the financial precariousness of 37% of French people who are unable to celebrate the end of year.
However, XR Dijon would like to emphasize that this is not to criticize Christmas as such. The movement celebrates the spirit of sharing, family and friendly reunions, as well as the festive aspect of the season. What is denounced here is the imposed image of a pine tree full of often superfluous consumer goods, many coming from the other side of the world.
At the same time, the city of Dijon is hosting the Miss France competition this year, an event that XR Dijon considers to be anachronistic. The cult of the standardized body conveyed by this competition recalls, according to the movement, the misogyny, fatphobia, and ableism of our society. XR Dijon joins the call of the “general assembly of the Feminist Strike” to boycott this event and highlight the standardization and consumption at work behind the Christmas frenzy and the Miss France competition.
To denounce this logic, XR Dijon organized a parody of the Miss France competition, which they called “Mister Pollueur”. The candidates marched on Place de la Libération, symbolizing their negative contributions to society (child labor, animal abuse, destruction of biodiversity, carbon emissions) by placing gifts at the foot of a giant fir tree. Among the “candidates”, we find well-known names in the industry such as Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Chris Xu (Shein, disposable fashion products group), Giovanni Ferrero (industrial chocolate maker), Henri Giscard d’Estaing ( Club Med), and of course, Bernard Arnault (LVMH, luxury group).
Extinction Rebellion Dijon makes several requests:
- The end of advertisements that encourage overconsumption, disadvantage small local brands and convey a degrading image of women.
- Compliance with legislation on imported products compliant with French law (labor law, ecological standards, fight against tax evasion).
- The end of the Miss France competition centered on the standardized and hypersexualized physical appearance imposed on candidates, and the establishment of general public events focused on environmental and social issues.
- The implementation of public policies in favor of the 37% of French people whose financial situation does not allow them to celebrate the end of year holidays.
- Taking animal welfare into account, in particular by stopping mutilating or making animals sick under the pretext that their flesh would be better.
Extinction Rebellion is a non-violent civil disobedience movement committed to the fight against global warming and the preservation of life. In Dijon, the group is particularly active in various citizen actions, conferences, legal training and advocacy.
2023-12-18 07:46:39
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