Handicap International Brings Shoe Pyramid Protest Against Landmines to Villeurbanne

A Historic Militant Ritual Moves to the Heart of the Gratte-Ciel

For thirty-one years, the shoe pyramids have stood as a stark visual protest against weapons that disproportionately destroy civilian lives. In 1995, Handicap International erected the very first pyramids simultaneously across Lyon, Paris, Marseille, and Strasbourg. That initial grassroots advocacy directly fueled the international campaign that led to the signing of the Ottawa Treaty two years later in 1997, successfully banning antipersonnel mines and pushing millions of nations to destroy stockpiles and clear contaminated land.

After anchoring its local presence on the Place de la Croix-Rousse in Lyon for decades, the organization relocated the flagship regional event to Villeurbanne for 2026. Set directly at the foot of the town hall and the Théâtre National Populaire (TNP) in the Gratte-Ciel district, the setup began on Friday with local school groups from Anatole-France, Niki-de-Saint-Phalle, and Simone-Veil joining educational workshops.

The Human Cost of Landmines in Contemporary Conflicts

The 2026 installation arrives during a critical geopolitical setback for international humanitarian law. Between December 2025 and February 2026, five European states—Estonia, Lettonie (Latvia), Lituanie (Lithuania), Finlande (Finland), and Pologne (Poland)—withdrew from the Ottawa Treaty, citing immediate security concerns linked to regional tensions involving Russia. These departures reduce the active convention framework to 161 member states and spark fears of a dangerous normalization of weapons long relegated to history.

Anne Héry, director of advocacy for Handicap International, warns that what people assumed belonged in the past has resurfaced with alarming momentum. According to data from the Observatoire des mines antipersonnel cited in organizational briefings, landmines and explosive remnants of war killed or injured at least 6,279 people globally in recent reporting periods. Civilians account for 90 percent of those casualties, with children representing nearly half of all impacted individuals.

Weapons like antipersonnel mines inherently violate international humanitarian law because they cannot distinguish between a combatant and a civilian. When regional infrastructure suffers contamination or communities face displacement due to unexploded ordnance, affected populations require comprehensive physical rehabilitation, trauma support, and legal advocacy. Securing vetted medical professionals, specialized prosthetic providers, and community support specialists remains an essential lifeline for survivors in long-term recovery.

Public Program and the Call of the First Witnesses

Following Friday’s dedicated student sessions—where children tested prosthetic mobility aids, explored braille and sign language, and watched live demining simulations—Saturday opens fully to the general public from 10:00 to 18:00. Visitors can engage in emergency humanitarian simulations, navigate obstacle courses in wheelchairs or with prosthetic devices, and watch live demining demonstrations.

At 10:30 on Saturday, the traditional public shoe toss invites attendees to hurl old pairs of shoes onto the collective pile, creating the towering monument against weapon usage. Later in the afternoon at 15:30, the event features “L’appel des premiers témoins,” bringing together co-founders of Handicap International alongside some of the organization’s very first child survivors who received early prosthetic fitting decades ago.

Municipal leadership, including Villeurbanne Mayor Cédric Van Styvendael, joins organizational figures for scheduled public remarks to address the community. Once the two-day event concludes and the physical pyramid is dismantled, all collected footwear will be directed toward organized reuse and recycling channels, ensuring that a symbol of protest gains a second life through sustainable local processing.