French President Emmanuel Macron grimaces before his speech before the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conference on June 11, 2019 in Geneva. / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI
BOURG-EN-BRESSE, France: Six French environmental activists have been convicted of theft for removing an official portrait of President Emmanuel Macron to protest his climate change policies.
Five activists were sentenced Wednesday to a suspended 500-euro fine - they won't have to pay unless they commit the offense again. One, who has a previous conviction, will have to pay a 250-euro fine.
They were also ordered to give back Macron's portrait to the town hall from where they took it in March.
The verdict in the eastern town of Bourg-en-Bresse is the first of several similar trials across the country.
Internationally, Macron is a vocal champion of fighting climate change, but domestically activists accuse him of lagging on promises to wean France from fossil fuels.
