French MPs Want To Ban Black Friday Because Of “Resource Waste” And “Overconsumption”

Members of the French Parliament are now demanding the government prohibit Black Friday, reported The Independent.

French MPs passed an amendment Monday that could make the annual shopping holiday, widely popularized in the US, illegal, warning that a shopping frenzy causes “resources waste” and “overconsumption.” 

The proposal, led by France’s former environment minister Delphine Batho, is expected to be debated next month in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

France’s ecological transition minister, Elisabeth Borne, told Europe 1 radio on Thursday that Black Friday creates “traffic jams, pollution, and gas emissions.”

“We cannot both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and call for a consumer frenzy,” Borne said. “Above all, we must consume better.”

The amendment prohibiting Black Friday has been condemned by France’s e-commerce union. 

RetailMeNot estimates that French shoppers are expected to spend $6.5 billion this year between Black Friday and Dec. 1. 

Climate change activists from the Extinction Rebellion group’s French chapter have been out in force protesting shoppers. 

“Friday, Nov. 29, it’s Block Friday: a day when Extinction Rebellion joins the youth call for the climate,” the climate change group said on Facebook. “Together, we stand to occupy in a festive way or block ‘Temples’ of consumption in more than 20 cities in France.”

Activists across #France have staged #BlackFriday protests against #Amazon, decrying consumerism and its impact on the environment. https://t.co/xtG1feHZJ2

— Francisco Taveira (@jftaveira1993) November 29, 2019

Extinction Rebellion also said Black Friday is “a symbol of the most harmful capitalism” and warned that “consumerism will end up / destroy everything if we don’t act before.”

“One word of order: prevent them from making a profit on what does not belong to them: the living,” the post added.

Grève pour le climat à Caen : action de blocus au centre Paul-Doumer (Fnac) en ce jour de Black Friday #Caen #Greve #Climat #Calvados #Normandie pic.twitter.com/hkNnCvqhrl

— Ouest-France 14 (@OuestFrance14) November 29, 2019

 

 

Borne told Europe 1 that if Black Friday supported local businesses instead of mega-corporations, she wouldn’t be opposed to a shopping holiday.