Their first public demonstration took place on February 28, 2008, during a signing session of the Éric Zemmour at Drugstore Publicis in Paris.

[3] According to the Le Nouvel Observateur, La Barbe is legally founded as non-profit association on March 8, 2008, for international women's day.

[4] The group demonstrated in Paris with Act Up-Paris and the Panthères roses, attaching a beard to one of the statues on the Place de la République.

Joy Sorman stated, “these collectives are living proof of the renewal of political activism among the younger generations".

[7] With its sense of derision, La Barbe participated in a more general movement of "activist irony"[8] next to other collectives such as L'appel et la pioche, Génération précaire, Jeudi noir, Sauvons les riches et les Clowns à responsabilités sociales.