(en) France, History, Paris liberated by its people: Part 1 The railway strike. (fr, pt)

[machine translation]

In Paris, the second armored division has only given the death-blow to the Germans. Even 
before the arrival of Allied troops in the city of lights, the people, led by the 
resisters of the FFI, was already in full insurrection against the occupiers. Eisenhower, 
then Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe will even say, "We gave the final blow 
to the enemy, but Paris was already in the hands of the Parisians. "However, significant 
events occurred before the insurrection spreads. The first is the railway strike of 10 
August 1944. ---- More trains for the Nazis! ---- Seeing the Allies landed in Normandy, 
the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) decided to put the general strike in its 
priorities. On 14 July 1944, national holiday in France, several strikes and 
demonstrations were held in Ile-de-France. A Ivry, railway became stop, which spawned a 
series of strikes to secure the release of their comrades. As the days passed, more 
agitation intensified. Thus, August 10, 1944 filing of Montrouge (Ile-de-France), a 
general strike was declared with office occupancy after a speech by George Prunault, head 
of the Popular Committees clandestine among cheminots1. CGT relays the news and a 
demonstration of 1,000 people s' follows in Villeneuve-St-Georges. Faced with such events, 
the Departmental Union of Val de Marne triggers the railway strike in Paris. Rail traffic 
paralyzed. On August 13, 3000 Company officers of the Metropolitan follow suit making it 
more difficult to fall in German troops. With the success of the railway strike and 
transit workers, several other professions will opt for the strike and the insurrection in 
the call of the CGT on 18 August.

-----
Railway workers in resistance, an essential pillar.

The National Society of French Railways (SNCF) was born on 1 January 1938 and employs 
500,000 railwaymen which 8 out of 10 are unionized. Under occupation and the Vichy regime, 
1 000 of them-are going to be requisitioned for work in Germany. In addition, there will 
be an attempt to impose a single corporate union via "Charter railway."
To recount the efforts of railway workers in the movement of resistance against the Nazi 
occupiers, here are excerpts from the exhibition on the railroad and the Resistance 
Memorial Hauteclocque Mar?chal Leclerc and the Liberation of Paris, Mus?e Jean Moulin, 
file release.

"Because of traffic facilities available to them and the many services they can go to 
underground organizations, the SNCF employees are among the most stressed to integrate 
organized resistance or carry out an occasional helping professions. Recruitment is also 
encouraged by the strength of professional, trade union or political solidarity that 
characterizes the corporation "
"During the occupation, railway act by first helping French soldiers and British prisoners 
to pass in the unoccupied zone and then, over time, this type of assistance is extended to 
include Allied airmen, Jews, refractory work in Germany, the resistance went underground. 
Railway workers also play a key role in spreading the news through clandestine that most 
of the major underground organizations expand their influence (including the PCF in the 
occupied zone and the great movements of . southern zone) Concerning the rail sabotage, 
railway contribute mainly indirectly, but importantly, by providing information on the 
German transport and contributing to the preparation of the "Green Plan" means the plan of 
railway network paralysis simultaneous landing of Normandy ... It is from the landing that 
the participation of sabotage railway tracks and equipment, with their advice or their 
direct action is amply attested. "

Published there three days ago by Collectif Emma Goldman