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The Paris climate talks, which began Monday and bring together more than 150 world leaders, are aimed at finding solutions to curb the rising levels of pollution, cut dependency on fossil fuel, and halt the ensuing rise in temperatures. 

The talks are facing protests on multiple fronts. One vibrant series comes from the London-based anti-advertising campaign Brandalism, which has denounced the “corporate takeover of the COP21 climate talks.”

Brandalism is displaying its displeasure with the talks by inundating the French capital with more than 600 “fake” advertisements that were installed in advertising spaces all over the city.

The campaign claims it “has worked with Parisians to insert unauthorized artworks” across the city and that the fake ads were placed in spaces owned by JC Decaux, the biggest outdoor advertising company in the world. The artworks were created by over 80 artists from 19 countries. 

Brandalism’s Joe Elan explained in a statement that the campaign was targeting companies sponsoring the talks that it believed were actually “part of the problem.”

“By sponsoring the climate talks, major polluters such as Air France and GDF-Suez-Engie can promote themselves as part of the solution – when actually they are part of the problem,” he said. 

The fake advertisements parody different companies and sponsors, such as Volkswagen and Air France, and also feature different heads of state.

One of the artists taking part said in a statement, “We are taking their spaces back because we want to challenge the role advertising plays in promoting unsustainable consumerism.”

The group also takes issue with the state of emergency the French government installed after terrorist attacks in Paris last month, which left 130 people dead. The state of emergency cracked down on big civil mobilizations, something the group sees as an attempt to silence climate activists. 

Over the weekend, protesters clashed with police in Paris, where people had gathered despite the ban to protest. Some posters also invited people to take part in different protests.

“We call on people to take to the streets during the COP21 to confront the fossil fuel industry. We cannot leave the climate talks in the hands of politicians and corporate lobbyists who created this mess in the first place,” Brandalism’s Bill Posters said in a statement. 

SEE ALSO: Obama invokes MLK to urge action on climate change: ‘There is such a thing as being too late’

Artist Millo designed this poster, which shows two doctors checking the earth’s temperature.

Artist Eubé // KC designed this one about a different state of emergency.

Artist Bill Posters is behind this piece showing a slightly altered picture of President Obama swimming in the sea with one of his daughters.

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