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June 15, 2024. – On this day, 640,000 people gathered in France, 250,000 of them in the Place de la République in Paris (police say 75,000). Objective: Demonstration against the national rally that could reach Matignon. “We are united,” said Sophie Binet, secretary general of the CGT. Since Sunday afternoon, we have seen very strong demonstrations, with a large number of young people. There is a force that is growing in the country.
In view of the early legislative elections on June 30 and July 7, the inter-union coalition (CGT, CFDT, Unsa, FSU and Unef) and associations (SOS Racisme, League for Human Rights) call on citizens to demonstrate across France during the weekend of June 15-16.
Their representatives (Sophie Binet of the CGT, Marylise Léon, secretary general of the CFDT, Nathalie Tehio, president of the LDH, etc.) are already at the scene of the mobilization that will begin this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Different delegations are formed. Vans in uniform colors drive down the Avenue des Templiers. The most active activists are also present. This is the case of Farid, a heavy vehicle driver from the Belfort region. “I traveled 600 kilometers to come to the demonstration,” he says immediately. Accustomed to this type of travel, for example when he participated in the Yellow Vests movement, he explains that he felt the need to participate: “Everyone is gathered together. We all must unite for the New Popular Front to win. »
“Fascism is hell”
Despite the grey sky, strong winds and a few drops of rain, a large crowd gathered between 12:00 and 13:00 in the afternoon. An orchestra played at the foot of the Monument to the Republic, while different groups prepared to go to the Place de la Bastille. The current events require that Kanak and Palestinian flags be mixed with those of the trade union organizations and political parties that make up the new Popular Front. Because, in the face of the far right, the struggle must converge. “Especially at this moment, the situation is complex for everyone, both in civil society and at the party level,” added Arié Alimi, a lawyer known for his work against racism and police violence.
The lawyer and vice president of the LDH said the urgency of the situation requires putting all possible disagreements into context: “We shouldn’t ask too many questions. Today we all have to fight with all our heart and soul,” he added.
For the protesters, the fight against racism is at the heart of all the other struggles. “There has always been a conflict between the extreme right and the struggle for decolonization,” recalls Kamel, a former professional wrestler, with a military jacket draped over his shoulders and an Algerian flag in his hands. Louise, who came with her ten-year-old son Gabriel, confirms: “Fascism was hell for my family. My son is French-Algerian. So it’s a daily battle for my future and for his. »
The march was heading towards the Bastille. The slogans grew, from “Siamo tutti antifascisti” to “Fascism is not condoned, our communities have no fascism”, through “From Gaza to Noumea”. Although the vast majority of the march was peaceful, some tensions emerged. There were altercations, insults and punches between protesters and a group of thugs, slowing down the march near the MK2 Bastille cinema.
The more cautious participants discuss the current news. Like the three twenty-something friends who are amused by the latest positions of influencers (Squeezie, Kameto, Mister V). “You understand, this means that we transmit ideas,” one of them imitates. A couple imagines the strategy that outgoing deputies Alexis Corbière, Raquel Garrido and Danielle Simonnet will adopt in the planned legislative elections, which have not received the investment of Francia Insumisa: “They will join other left-wing parties or present themselves as dissidents”.
New Popular Front appears united
The meeting was attended by representatives of the New Popular Front, such as Marine Tondelier (Ecologist), Olivier Faure (Socialist Party), Ian Brossat (Communist Party of France) and Mathilde Panaud (Rebellious France). Despite the tensions of the last few hours, the New Popular Front seems united. For those who believe in the victory of the left, there is something to cheer about, like Fiona, a fifth-year law student who has been involved in the SOS Racism campaign for eight months: “We have formed a union and that is already a victory. The extreme right, whether through the National Rally or the Reconquista, feeds on hatred. They are against the values of the Republic. It is important that all the humanitarian parties, despite their differences, unite. »
However, Cécile Duflot, director general of the NGO Oxfam France, calls on the left to remain vigilant. “The risk is huge and at the same time very simple: the national bloc could be in power in three weeks,” he warned. I think the left actors are still in denial about this. This mobilization – a source of hope – is necessary because I want all of us to be aware of this risk. »
The former national secretary of the European Green Ecological League (EELV) knows that “in the end what matters is that voters vote constituency by constituency.” Matteo and Marie-Ange, who studied sociology and staples respectively, know this very well because they find it difficult to motivate the people they love.
“The most difficult thing for me was getting my parents involved,” Marie-Ange admits. They were not worried, despite the fact that they are racialized and come from the Ivory Coast. » Matteo, who comes from a politicized family with parents who are members of the New Anti-Capitalist Party, urged his friends to take an interest in the elections. “It’s necessary,” he insists. The student’s reason for hope is that “even those who did not vote in the European elections say that we must act.” For many citizens, surprise has been replaced by the desire to act.
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