18-Year-Old Activist Solène Tessier Is Ready To Get Arrested To Stop Climate Change
MONTREAL — A lot has been written about the three Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists who climbed the Jacques Cartier Bridge in October 2019. Their act of civil disobedience, intended to denounce government inaction on climate change, disrupted traffic on a Tuesday morning, frustrating many.
But Solène Tessier was inspired by what she saw that day, and it wasn’t long before she decided to take action, too.
“They arrested them — I was following everything, and I found it really fascinating. It really motivated me,” remembers the Montrealer, her eyes sparkling. “It touched me, because I realized that we, as citizens, can take action.”
“I was researching [Extinction Rebellion] all night, and the next morning. A friend and I went to their swarm in our pajamas. There were about 50 activists, but also about 50 journalists and 50 police officers. It was quite the event to start off with,” says Tessier, who is clearly still excited to recount this experience she lived through almost a year ago.
During a swarm — the name XR gave to the events it organized every week before the pandemic — activists stand in front of stopped vehicles at a red light, holding up signs and distributing leaflets to passers-by. The young woman loved her first experience, not least because she quickly found out that even an event as small as this could attract attention. “I got my picture taken and I made the papers,” she says proudly.
After participating in various demonstrations and theatrical events, Tessier had no doubt she wanted to get involved in the movement. Since then, she has devoted much of her time to the cause — from 10 to 25 hours per week, depending on her schedule, and sometimes even as much as 35 hours per week. The activist also mentions that she doesn’t have an exact job title within the organization, since there’s no hierarchy within the movement.
Even the pandemic hasn’t dampened her enthusiasm. The young woman who took a year off after high...
