“Break in case of climate emergency”, is the phrase that can be read next to the window of the luxury store Gucci , which was broken by Climáximo supporters.
On Saturday morning, one activist smashed the glass of a shop window, while two others painted “Break in case of climate emergency” in red paint. The group targeted the Gucci store on Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon. The brands belong to French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, CEO of the Kering company, with a net worth of 40 billion dollars and one of the richest men in the world (28th in 2023, according to Forbes magazine).
According to the participants, “The UN points out that the ultra-rich have to cut more than 97% of their emissions in the emissions gap report, but luxury consumption has never been higher. We need to put an end to luxury consumption and emissions. This whole luxury retail industry only accentuates the inequality at the root of the climate crisis. While some profit from consumption and are the richest on earth, others are evicted and deported.”
On the same day as the demonstration called by Vida Justa against the rising cost of living, Climáximo is presenting income justice for the climate as one of the measures to stop this war.
The group’s demand is for the energy transition to be financed by introducing a new IRS bracket, applied to incomes above 150,000 euros gross per year, with the tax rate set at 99%. They say that the 1% should pay, especially those who have made huge profits from the cost of living crisis.