Nadine opens the iron door of the hall that was once the entrance to the Paris train station Charonne and it hangs. He was expecting people, but not that many. The meeting of the Action Committee “Network General Strike” It started less than half an hour ago and there is no more seating. Marion, in the front row, nods to her. He then lowers his head and tweets live on the group’s official account: “we are 150“. Nadine who is a pro The bus driver lives in the suburbs and has been on strike continuously since March 7, she stands at the door, listening to her comrades and registering for an intervention. TO Paris It was just after 7pm on a very long day of strikes, wildcat protests and blockades. Most of those present spent the morning blocking trucks at the entrance to an incinerator. It was shortly after sunrise and now we have to think about the next action and above all get ready for the tenth day of the general strike. The climate is difficult: the recent mass demonstration has boosted morale and the increasingly harsh police repression has triggered a new wave of outrage. But keeping up the pace after almost three months is difficult. And the militants are getting tired. “That’s why we’re here tonight, because we need to organize now to resist,” he says laura opening of the meeting. “We cannot afford to waste energy.” The applause begins.
The audience is mixed: sitting in the dim light of the club Fleche d’or, so named because it is where the historic London-Paris trains departed, has faces of all ages. And above all different professions: Railroad workers, teachers, nurses, librarians, civil servants. The evening is not open to everyone: The appeal started online, but only after a short interview by email was it possible to find out the address. Who you are, what job you do and what area you live in: The purpose of the meeting is operational and only those who can actually lend a hand are admitted. Also because the movement is at a crossroads. “I work for the railways in Paris Nord,” Laura begins. “We’re here tonight to confront each other and sort of Employees of activity in the Paris region. For a few days we have seen that there is a change in mobilization. After a very controlled phase, there are now many spontaneous actions. And then the younger ones come along, which wasn’t the case until recently, and it gives strength to all workers. They are not only taking to the streets for retirement, but also for wages, living conditions and against this political system. Having angry youth on our side is very important“. Laura shouts into the microphone: She wants to be heard, but above all she wants to convince the most demoralized. It’s exhausting, he says, but in view of “such a weak government” “we must and can organize ourselves.” Because it’s now or never. “The difference is made by the axis between different workers. We are not alone.” And he begins to list recent actions: last Friday, for example, they filled two buses to reach them the Gonfreville-l’Orcher refinery in Normandy and 200 supported those comrades forced by the government to return to work. “Monday morning we were standing in front of the incinerator in Ivry‘, at the gates of Paris, ‘and thanks to the massive presence of demonstrators, we blocked the trucks’. The problem now, Laura concludes, “is being able to extend the strikes. To do that, we need many committees like this evening’.
He starts turning the microphone and takes turns speaking. Not everyone knows everyone: the aim was to integrate different networks and open up a dialogue. Among the main organizers of the meeting is a small far-left party (permanent revolution) and its leader, Anasse Kazib, who is also a railway worker and Sud Rail trade unionist. “We have to get other people to go on strike,” he says. “And to do that, we have to expand our slogans, which must also apply inflation And wages“. Kazib worries about the morale of the strikers: “It’s the end of the month, the paychecks are coming in and there is not enough money to pay the rent or eat. This is how they want to make us give up. We have to raise money for the strike funds and help our comrades.” The two-time César Prize winner also listens to him, camouflaged in the crowd Adele Haniel: She was with them on Friday at the solidarity strike for those who work in the refineries, she also returned for the organizing committee. He doesn’t speak, but by the end of the night he agrees to make a fundraising video that will be posted online.
The microphone turns again and takes the floor a tgv technician that from ten days ago Wild Strike, or does not respect the shifts required by the company to ensure a minimum service. He wears overalls and says that together with his colleagues they put up the protest flag on the office roof every day and hang out every night. “It’s a symbol, but it’s important. We’re shocked why One of our comrades lost an eye during the last demonstration. I’ve been working there since I was 15 and he was the first to welcome me. We are all shocked by what happened to him. I promise you that not a single train will leave in the next few hours, and we will do it for our companion. The turning point is also coming Nadine. “I’ve been on strike for almost a month. Every day I leave the house and don’t know which protest action I will end up at. Note that this spontaneity is essential because it disorients you. In addition, the expense must be taken into account. We know it works that way and we have nothing to fear now.”
The government’s response to the demonstrations is particularly worrying. “It’s a very powerful strategy,” he says Gabriel who presents himself as a radical ecologist. “You know that if you are beaten during a protest it will be difficult for you to get back on the pitch. Because there are physical wounds, but also mental ones.” The pictures from the demonstration on March 26 against the a Sainte Soline everyone has seen them. And the latest news speaks of two hospitalized militants who are between life and death. “Some say it was a turning point for the police. I’m saying it’s a resumption of a course of action they’ve always had.” But the very repression of the forces of law opens up a new axis within the movement. He says it Stephen who stands up for the students and echoes the words of his classmates: “You know that there was something in those hours well-attended meetings at both universities and high schools. They are on our side and the outrage at the behavior of the police has only increased their motivation.” In the meantime, the Reseau organized: Joshua he is a lawyer and has created a collective with a toll-free emergency number for anyone in need of legal defense. “Call us if you need anything,” he says before returning to his seat.
Almost three hours have passed and still no one has left. The closure is still up to Laura: “We knew that Macron and his men would have reacted. Now the question is: are we ready to respond and stand up to a government that has never been so weak?”. Everyone applauds: It’s not easy, but whoever has come this far will try. In the meantime, turn the tide to collect the mobile numbers: small committees will be formed, divided by area, and they will be contacted for the blocks already in the next few hours. Before it starts, Kazib calls for order: A support video is to be shot mehdi, one of them targeted and massacred by the far right online. The hall rises and sings one of the choruses of the procession “pour la grève generale”. It’s still just the beginning, they swear.