With Jumps and Loops, Parkour Athletes Turn Off the Lights in Paris

PARIS – After taking a few steps back to start running, Hadj Benhalima dashed towards the building, pushing against its wall with his feet, pushing himself upwards and extending his arms.

At the height of his leap, he turned off a light switch, more than 10 feet above the ground. There was a click, and the lights of the nearby barbershop went out in an instant.

“Oooh,” his friends cheered, as Benhalima, a skinny 21-year-old dressed all in black, landed on the sidewalk. It was the second store sign he turned off during a recent nighttime tour across Paris’ upscale neighborhoods. Many others will follow as he ascends and returns to the city.

For the past two years, groups of young athletes have trained obstacle – a sport that involves running, climbing and jumping over urban obstacles – swings around major French cities to turn off wasted shop signs at night, in an attempt to combat light pollution and save energy.

Videos of their feat, which showed Spider-Man-like aerialists clinging to stone facades and balcony ledges before making their way into the dark with the flick of an overhead switch, were popular. on social media since the trend started.

But these so-called Light Out activities have become more resounding in recent months, with France embarking on energy conservation efforts in response to Russia’s hold on European gas.

Paris, the City of Lights, is a favorite target. While its historic sites now darken earlier than usual, many shop signs remain lit throughout the night.

“Everybody can contribute in their own way” to save energy, says Kevin Ha, leader of On The Spot Parkour, which has about 20 members. “We make good use of our physical abilities.”

Several times a month, Mr. Ha and his compatriots can be seen flocking around Paris, hunting for electric signs on porches or illuminated shop names.

They look for small emergency switches installed outside storefronts, typically about 9 to 13 feet tall. Most of the time these switches only control outdoor signs, meaning the team couldn’t extinguish the store’s interior display windows with gold, if wasted, light.

Some fancy areas like the Champs-Élysées are an ideal playground for groups. Stepping down the boulevard, they turned off the signs of luxury stores one by one, attacking their targets like professional snipers.

“Click.” Louis Vuitton. “Click.” Longchamp. “Click.” Rolex watch.

While extending someone else’s property to turn off their lights may seem to some people as a form of trespass, Parkour athletes – or nonviolent vigilantes, for some – assert their activities solely to enforce rules that are rarely respected.

Over a decade ago, Paris City Hall issued the order required stores to turn off all signs and display windows between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., but the ordinance was widely ignored with little consequence.

Anne-Marie Ducroux, head of the organization National Association for the Protection of the Sky and the Night Environmenthas long lobbied to step up efforts to combat light pollution.

That’s why the members of On The Spot took it upon themselves to solve the problem. The group often gathers in the so-called Golden Triangle, west of Paris, the heart of French luxury, where elegant Haussmann buildings with cream facades line the streets.

The enforcement of orders on behalf of the authorities will certainly enter the legal gray area. But the group said all police officers they met in their rounds approved of the initiative – as long as it didn’t cause damage. And they have the full support of the City Council.

“They have the right to act,” said Dan Lert, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of the environment. “It’s also thanks to them that we will put an end to these shocking habits.”

Dali Debabeche, another member of On The Spot, said these night missions allow him to hone his parkour skills while “sending a message” about protecting the environment. “We killed two birds with one stone,” he said.

David Belle, a French actor and stunt choreographer, is credited with popularizing the sport in the 1990s as a way to gracefully and dynamically cruise around urban landscapes. Since then, it has spread globally.

Members of On The Spot often practice on a large promenade in eastern Paris, performing moves in the middle of a scene of high-rise buildings. The most common technique used to turn off the lights is the “muraille crossing” or “wall run,” which involves jumping over walls by pushing one foot against the wall to propel yourself upwards.

Sometimes, to get to the switches, athletes climb through doorways and balconies – to the surprise of the sleepless residents.

Anh Ha, 30, said the On The Spot collective was inspired by the Wizzy Gang, from Rennes, France, the first parkour group to come up with the idea of ​​acrobatics on the shop sign. One glossy video of one such performance that they posted on Instagram in 2020 has reached over 700,000 views. Soon, similar initiatives emerged across the nation.

Mathieu Brulard, 27, a member of the Wizzy team, said: “We are a generation that is bearing the brunt of global warming. He added that he no longer believes “the solution will come from political leaders”, and that these lights-out patrols are just the latest example of a younger generation ready to act.

Smaller cities across France are subject to government-issued regulations turn off the light law similar to in Paris, regulations that the authorities speak can save enough electricity to power 750,000 households per year.

On a recent nighttime expedition, five members of On The Spot were in their composition. The surrounding streets are ablaze with dazzling signs for beauty and sports shops, and the shiny facades of luxury clothing stores.

“It was amazing,” said Mr. Benhalima, looking at the scene with obvious excitement. Spotting the glaring sign of a French bank where he had an account, he hurriedly climbed a gutter and turned it off. “My favorite one,” he said with a smile.

By the end of the tour, at 3:30 a.m., they had turned off nearly 40 signs.

Many of the stores targeted did not respond to requests for comment on Parkour’s activities. People have reported their signs were on at night due to problems with their automatic lighting control system.

Some employees said they were unaware of the decrees and questioned the legitimacy of the group’s operations. “Are they even allowed to do this?” asked a perfume shop employee.

Sofia Citiulo, who works in an art gallery where Mr. Ha’s lights were off, said the bright lights helped attract the attention of potential customers. But she admits it goes against conservation efforts.

Ms. Citiulo said: “It’s good that young people come up with initiatives.

The “Lights Out” movement has perhaps never been more relevant than it is today, as France is moving towards what President Emmanuel Macron calls a new energy era “sober”.

The Parisian authorities recently began turning off decorative lights honoring the monuments earlier than usual, part of plan to cut energy use by 10% this winter.

The government also publishes a Orders just this month standardize the lights-out rules for illuminated advertising signs across France. Now they must be turned off from 1am to 6am; Violations are punishable with a €1,500 ($1,480) fine.

But Ms. Ducroux, the lobbyist, says the new regulation lacks the ambition needed amid the current energy crisis.

However, the parkour initiative can bring about the desired effect.

Ha said he has noticed that in recent months, some stores have stopped turning on their lights after his team targeted them. He hopes others will follow suit.

“At least, I’ll sleep better,” he said.