Updated

French climate activists have carried out an unusual bank heist, stealing chairs from two bank branches in a protest linked with the upcoming Paris talks on fighting global warming.

The group says Thursday it will use the chairs to organize a "citizens' summit" on social and environmental issues during the COP 21 climate negotiations, which will bring world leaders and tens of thousands of others to Paris later this month.

Activist Txetx Etcheverry said the group has "reclaimed" 196 chairs in a series of similar bank jobs in recent weeks.

During Thursday's stunt, BNP Paribas branch manager Cyril Hamer stood by and watched, saying "let's just go with the flow and let them finish this peacefully."