Announced with great fanfare by Emmanuel Macron, the construction of a new aircraft carrier was met with a large anti-militarist mobilization in Saint-Nazaire. --- On the beach, the aircraft carrier was set ablaze, while the flotillas sailed away accompanied by the chants of activists: "Zero aircraft carriers, and a thousand flotillas!" Nearly 1,600 people marched through the streets of Saint-Nazaire on May 8th against the construction of the new aircraft carrier, the "Free France," at the call of the "War on War Western France" coalition. Leading the march were banners from the towns that had responded to the call, followed by union contingents from Sud and the CGT 44, and then by joyful and assertive groups from the towns. At the rear of the demonstration, a few political organizations sought their place outside the unified front. A first massive and successful show of force for the anti-militarist movement in western France.
The coalition achieved its objective by bringing together several political, civic, and labor organizations under the banners of mobilized cities.
UCL Rennes
The date, prepared for many months within regional general assemblies, provides a solid foundation for the continued building of the coalition. Despite a demonstration that was announced and planned as a family-friendly and festive event, the prefecture opted for repression, carrying out checks and arrests even before the first speeches. The lack of collective protection was keenly felt and remains a challenge to address within a movement clearly targeted by a state undergoing militarization.
This event demonstrates the coalition's capacity to build a large-scale anti-militarist movement. It also shows that the existence of functional anti-militarist structures is a necessary foundation for amplifying the movement: only cities with these local structures (Rennes, Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, etc.) were able to provide a strong presence on this key date. As such, their development and structuring must be a priority for revolutionary activists, especially since, while unity is a consensual slogan, its actual implementation is still in its infancy. The coalition still needs to prove itself and reassure people in order to transform anxieties about the rise of militarism into a capacity for unified action. This is particularly true with regard to the largest organizations, primarily the labor unions.
Against war, unity is the order of the day!
Faced with the ongoing march to war, and with the election period beginning, the UCL has defined the fight against war against the people as a priority. Against delegationism, we must have faith in the capacity of our class and our tools to steer its destiny away from the trenches and death. The War on War coalition has already been seized by several political forces, and our self-management practices can make decisive contributions. To build a mass anti-militarist movement, we have no other choice but to get our hands dirty: against war, let's strive for unity!
LuLu and Malo (UCL Rennes)
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Grand-Ouest-Mille-flottilles-plutot-que-le-France-libre
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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