The blue, green, red and yellow signs twirl among the crowd, carrying with them their slogans “The end of police violence”, “The defeat of fascism”, “Social justice, “Dignified housing for all”, etc.”We are artists, we are not part of a political party, but it seemed essential to us to be there, against the RN“, explain the members of this “Creation training in public spaces”.
Like them, on Wednesday evening there were several hundred simple citizens, community activists or political sympathizers who came to support the New Popular Front during the “mee-ting mi-teuf” organized at the aptly named Square Léon Blum (the latter became President of the Council after the victory of the Popular Front in 1936, Editor’s note) by the very young Citizen Reserve, formed following the European elections and the dissolution of the National Assembly. “Since the European elections, many citizens have mobilized, even outside the parties, to stand up against the extreme right and carry the project of the New Popular Frontcomments Kevin Vacher, activist against poor housing, who initiated the event. We wanted to bring together all these forces in a festive event.“
Artistic stroll, fanfare, conferences… Festive, the evening was no less political with, in its sights, one objective: to block the National Rally on June 30 and July 7, during the early legislative elections. “I am from the left, but I am not affiliated with any party, this is the first time that I am so actively involvedtestifies Fiona, 31, who runs the Citizen Reserve stand. But I wanted to be active in this campaign, not to suffer it alone at home, not to tell myself I did nothing to prevent the RN from coming to power.“Young graduates in international relations, Tanaïs, 27, and Solène, 24, are participating in a political demonstration for the first time:”But the wind is changing, we must show that the NFP has support. We are afraid of the arrival of the RN, we will vote in both rounds“.
Figures of the local or national left among the anonymous
A few meters further, on the square, the local branch of the French lawyers’ union is distributing a small booklet in which it deciphers the RN’s measures in terms of policing and justice: “We are not giving voting instructions, but we are informing people about the consequences of the RN coming to power in terms of foreigners’ rights, the fight against sexual assault, etc.“.
Politicians or figures from the local or national left mingle with anonymous people. Among them, the sector mayor Sophie Camard, the deputy for culture Jean-Marc Coppola, the deputy for civil status Sophie Roques, the feminist activist Alice Coffin, the economist Julia Cagé and even the journalist from Mediapart Edwy Plenel. “At Mediapart, we believe that the far right is not just about conservative policies, it is the enemy of equality, of having the same rights whatever our religion, our origins, etc. An event like this is important because it is from civil society that the surge will come.“
