in 2002, youth demonstrated against the National Front in La Manche

Aged 96, the co-founder of the National Front (now National Rally) Jean-Marie Le Pen died this Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

The opportunity to return to the year 2002 when youth had descended in the streets of France and Cotentinafter the accession of the National Front for the first time to the second round of a presidential election.

“Fear had seized the civilian population”

It was a day after democratic hangover.

The weather was nice and for almost the first time that year, the presidential election was the main conversation during the break.

I was 17 years old. I had cut out the front page of Libé: a photo of Jean-Marie Le Pen, with NO written underneath! I glued it to a piece of cardboard and hung it on my high school backpack. I kept this sign.

The day before, Jean-Marie Le Pen had qualified to everyone's surprise for the second round, where he would face Jacques Chirac two weeks later.

“By 8 p.m., fear had gripped the civilian population. Spontaneously, the town hall square in Cherbourg (Manche) was populated with haggard faces, looking for support from each other. The FN embodied by Jean-Marie Le Pen was the same as the RN of today…” says Christophe.

Trivialization of the far right

At the entrance of Grignardin the courtyard, the music of the rap group Sniper resonated from the open window of the relaxation area of ​​the high school. “Labeled, guilty every time, sidelined and even singled out,” the group rapped. We sometimes give meaning to what has no meaning, to the point of smiling about it several years later.

For others, over time, the wind of revolt turned. L'extreme right has ended up becoming commonplace, and for many, the policy is nothing more than a sure way of swallowing snakes. The time when they prided themselves on being “young and stupid” and the others “old and crazy”, as Damien Saez sang, has passed.

A first demonstration for some

At the end of the afternoon, a group of high school students from Valognes got off the train to collect the high schools from Cherbourg. Tocqueville first, then Grignard.

“Grignard with us”, they sing. No reactions, until someone rang the fire bell to make the school move. That day, there would be 250 people demonstrating.

Our economics and social sciences teacher made the call, then left the classroom door open for those who wanted to demonstrate.

The next day, there will be 1,500 and the AGM will be held at the station. “I was there. Without my parents knowing! I still remember the song: Le Pen… If you knew… Your bulletins, your bulletins… Where we put them… No hesitation… No, no. Besides, I hid when I saw The Pressto prevent my parents from discovering me in the newspaper. It was my first demonstration! », continues Aurélie.

For two weeks, the mobilisation will never fade, with a peak the 1^is May 2002when more than 6,000 people marched in Cherbourg, unions and citizens included. For many, this is a first, a real political awakening.

“We were thinking of our North African friends”

To desert the class was to assert oneself, to make it understood that this company was not theirs.

I was going to protest during my permit hours and lunch break because I was aware that school was what would allow me to get by. As a result, the youth of the time did not have access to the polls. The street was therefore the only way to be heard. Today, I will vote in every election because my voice counts and I do not intend to leave it to the haters, the selfish, the fascists.

The youth did not possess herself, she exercised and expressed herself before she was old enough to do so at the ballot box.

“In 2002, we took the baccalaureate a few weeks later. The mobilization was not feigned. I mean, I have no problem saying that I happened to enjoy some strike days pour go to friends and play on the console. Against Le Pen, we felt there was danger. We were thinking of our North African friends. We were annoying them a little to try to laugh about it, but it was hot all the same,” continues Momo.

“We had dried up to go demonstrate”

The grumpy people already explained that it was exploited by the teachers and the unions, as if she was not old enough to become aware of the society around her for herself.

“We had skipped to go demonstrate,” remembers a high school student from the time. We were in the private. We were chased by the manager in the street because she didn't want us to go there! Poor thing, she was in heels! »

Julien MUNOZ

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.