(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #238 - Action Blocker: Resisting hype (fr, pt)

Ubiquitous and multifaceted, advertising colonizes the public space. Facing the hype in 
public places, uncommercial organize collective resistance, acts of civil disobedience 
actions against the display. ---- Ode to the sacrosanct consumer sexist content, drain 
digital screens, the pub is the symbol of capitalism and its violence. Private interests 
are exhibited with impunity in the public space. Not satisfied with the place that is 
already made their streets and public transportation (maximum 12 mm2 for agglomerations of 
more than 10 000 inhabitants), they appear no limit on public buildings like the gigantic 
tarp Courthouse of Paris. The collective Blocker, openly or not, struggle against this 
permanent brain washing.

Civil disobedience

The Collective of debunkers and d?boulonneuses leads since 2005 acts of civil disobedience 
to achieve the reduction in the number and size of the advertising displays the size of 
the associative views (which is 50 cm by 70 cm) and to prohibit use of digital billboards. 
These actions are carried out as follows: the signs are "smeared" (that is to say, covered 
with slogans uncommercial using spray paint) to uncovered faces and without attempting to 
escape police usually occurs very quickly. The aim is indeed to mediate action and 
collective claims during any trial[1]. At the last trial of March 25, 2013, members of the 
group were released, the judge has recognized the legitimacy of the civil disobedience 
action on behalf of the state of necessity (Article 122-7 of the Criminal Code).

Reclaim public space

Several uncommercial groups organize actions against display as RAP or reposeurs 
Association. An informal group that has existed for over ten years regularly conducts 
actions against display advertising in the Paris metro. During the last action (February) 
more than 200 billboards were destroyed and replaced by militant posters kraft paper on 
which drawings are shown or are enrolled slogans such as "In our society it produces 
misery to impose obedience " , "Beware the pub down the train" , "PUB Propaganda Universal 
trivialized". The mode of operation is simple, just open the light panels subway with a 
wrench 12 socket, detach the existing signs, replace the uncommercial posters and close 
panels. For a few days, one can thus enjoy an area without pub, released this visual and 
mental pollution. At the same time, it is possible to pass other political messages and 
relaying other struggles (such as the fight against the airport in Notre-Dame-des-Landes 
or against the pact responsibility MEDEF attempts impose). These actions against display 
allow to reclaim public space and help make visible other struggles, the convergence of 
these being always more than necessary.

Julie (AL Montreuil)


[1] see: Doc real: ACTION uncommercial and METRO ACTION