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Up to 150 climate rallies are expected to take place around France today (March 12) , with the protestors calling for the environment to be made a key issue ahead of the presidential elections in April.

The protests have been dubbed 鈥渓ook up鈥�, in reference to the satirical 2021 climate disaster film Don't Look Up.

The marches will take place all around the country, supported by around 450 NGOs, associations and other groups.

Read more: Election in France: Pay, tax cuts, energy 鈥� what candidates promise

鈥淚n France in 2022, the greatest threat humanity has ever known is being ignored in the middle of an election period, while our future is at stake,'' the protest organisers said.

鈥淟et us not allow our rights and our future to remain hostage to those who are leading us to disaster. With their irresponsible passivity, governments tell us that there is nothing more we can do. This is not true.鈥�

脡lodie Nace, spokesperson for two of the groups organising the rallies - Alternatiba and ANV-COP21 - said that the 鈥渢otal absence of climate discussions in the election debate is quite dramatic鈥�.

French environmental group L鈥橝ffaire du si猫cle claim that issues related to the climate made up 1.5% of media coverage in the last week studied, February 28 to March 6. This figure is down from 2.8% the previous week.

鈥淲hile the war in Ukraine has obviously focused the media's attention, and rightly so, it should be stressed that this minimal treatment of the climate emergency was already taking place before the outbreak of the conflict", organisers of the 鈥榣ook up鈥� rallies stated.

Presidential candidates such as Anne Hidalgo of the Parti socialiste and Yannick Jadot of the French Green party are expected to attend the rallies.

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