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62 French Activists Charged Over War on 'Brainless Ads'
Drawing moustaches or writing words on advertisements used to be a by-product of boredom or wanton destructiveness. In Paris, defacing ads on the Metro a trendy political movement.
Recently 62 people landed in court accused of vandalism and damaging the image and advertising revenues of the Paris transport authority. The trial a mass arrest of campaigners when they gathered at a metro station in eastern Paris in December. In previous weeks, large gangs of protesters, obeying directions posted on an internet site had been descending on metro stations and tearing down or scribbling over the posters. They said they were protesting against, among other things, the commercialization of public space, brainless consumerism and sexism in advertising. Since the police raid, the protesters have continued their campaign, but in smaller, more secretive groups. a poster in any metro station in central Paris is now free of a scribbled message such as "ads kill” or "ads stink”.
Fifty demonstrators gathered outside the Palace of Justice in Paris the trial and support the accused. The metro authority was seeking €922,000 in damages. Yvan Gradis, who against advertising in France for 12 years, was called by the defense as a character witness. He said that the hearing should be seen as the trial of aggression by advertising, not of the protesters. He said their actions are legitimate and admirable because they are non-violent and do no damage to metro property. They are not against good advertising, which is neither manipulative, nor violent. The protesters claim to be part of an uprising against the excesses of advertising. However, opinion polls say that only one in eight French people hostile to advertising.
The website describes the movement as "anti-capitalist". To a large extent it overlaps with the anti-globalist movement and the newly re-awakened far left in France. Some of the campaigners are radical Catholics the materialism of popular culture. Others are feminists who to the exploitation of women by advertisers. The great majority, are typically in their 30s or above, seem to be motivated by hatred of market economics.