textfiles/politics/SPUNK/sp001606.txt

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        CONTRE INFOS
        EUROPEAN COUNTER NETWORK
        PARIS / FRANCE
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        English edition #1
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        Ecn c/o Reflex - 21 ter, rue Voltaire, 75011 Paris (France)
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        eMail : Counter@dialup.francenet.fr
        Samizdat : http://www.anet.fr/~aris/
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THEIR RESERVES AREN'T BIG ENOUGH... FOR THE DEPTHS OF OUR DESIRE

Throughout France students are mobilising...

All around us: 3.5 million unemployed, a growing mass of workers whose jobs
are on the line across the planet, the growing impoverishment of whole
continents whilst the wealth of the world never ceases to grow...

Here, even in Perpignan (TN: SW France) there are loads of us who live in
shit, unemployment, on a minimum income, grabbing a free ride on the
transport and tax system often not knowing where to sleep and what to eat.

Are our actions apolitical? Ridiculous question! It's unbelievable... as if
the wish to jeopardise the whole of society wasn't a political decision
aiming to provide a compliant and obediant workforce on demand. We are
opposing this set-up however naive we may be! We haven't understood at all!
Paying people as little as possible is the only way to be competitive
within a neo-liberal framework and to oppose restraints is to oppose the
logic of the market... In other words our action is as political as that
which would take the taxpayers money to Mururoa instead of investing it in
education...

All around us despite the false pretences of the media the flood of
repression and exclusion is growing... Our future is being pawned, the
present brings its own impoverishments. There is the right to be layed off,
the right to despair or anger, there is the humiliation of immigrant
workers, there are the expulsions and the extraditions, there is the return
to moral, sexist and religious order, there is selection in our
universities and the employment exchanges, there is the teachers crisis,
there is the restructuring of the social security system. There is nothing
but the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Then there's the
police and wage slavery which beckons. There's the take-over of education
by the bosses and
Pasqua's schemes paid for out of public funds and there is racism.

20% of the population own 68% of its wealth whilst 60% make do with 12%. We
face the end of education for pleasure, we face Chernobyl and the hole in
the ozone, we face work which crushes us and unemployment which kills, we
face a growth in public begging - now forbidden as it was in Perpignan this
summmer, we face the fall of the APL, we face the right which attacks and
the left which lies, the unions in a state of crisis, we face a miserable
income and an income of misery, overcrowded prisons, housing crises,
boredom, a dead end future. We have had enough!

- Students on strike.

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SCALP-NANTES

MISERY... IT'S ALWAYS THE POOR YOU ATTACK THE MOST.

For more than 20 years the various austerity programmes continue. From that
of the socialists in 1983 to that of Juppe' they all have in common the aim
of building a liberal Europe (Maastricht Treaty) which imposes the need for
squeezing public expenditure (reducing the budget deficit). This
anti-social Europe is being built to make the old continent a competitive
economic pole in the world market. The aim is to bring down the cost of
labour by giving free reign to business interests but not workers (paying
off public debt) (...) This is why the state is making political decisions
as to which budgets to cut: education, health, ASSEDIC, social security...
whilst leaving alone, of course, armaments and the political gravy train
(6% rise)

Must we continue to submit our health, education and the rest of our living
conditions to the laws of competition? The globalisation of the market
economy is synonimous with insecurity and poverty in the countries of the
North and intense misery in those to the South. Everywhere we can see the
installation of a real social apartheid between rich and poor regions,
prosperous urban centres and the rotting suburbs, health for the rich and
minimla security for the rest, schools and universities abandoned and
starved of funds... This divided development depends on people being
willing to take it (...)

It's well known: the thinner the carrot the bigger the stick. In order to
maintain this unequal social order the state announces repressive measures:
community policing since 1981, neighbourhood watch, a new penal code,
increassed police powers, video surveillance, repression of social
movements, Schengen agreements etc. Scapegoats must be found. Today France
is an openly racist country with racist laws. Finally there is the
principle of divide and rule: oppose the French and foreigners, workers and
the unemployed, the haves and the have nots, women and men...

The pillage and exploitation of the countries to the East as well as the
South is tearing apart social structures and on top of capitalist barbarity
we have religious and nationalist obscuranticism.

Our revolt against the logic of liberalism manifests itself by a refusal of
all authoritarian systems and a call for solidarity between individuals and
nations based on free exchange. We desire a share of wealth rather than
simply misery. With or without work we must aquire the means to live with
dignity. When we think of the profits linked to financial speculation and
also the fiscal fraud linked to it which in France, every year, is equal to
the budgetary deficit (230 billion francs) we no longer want them to speak
to us of sacrifice.

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RIOTS - JUSSIEU

30/11/95 (during the riot)

* Demonstration of about 20,000 people better than the previous one (30,000
but that was before the transport strike)

* Students, school attenders but also the unemployed showed more determination.

* During the demo there were confrontations with the riot police but it is
hard to tell if this was the work of agents provocateurs or demonstrators

* The demonstrators moved on to Jussieu (as part of a national
co-ordination) and perhaps a thousand were there throughout the night.

* Attempts were made to form barricades (cars were overturned) but with
little success up until now. Only the ordinary police were called out.

* There were many arrests

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A NIGHT OF DEMONSTRATING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF JUSSIEU SETS THE STUDENT
DELEGATES RUNNING

On the devastated forecourt of Jussieu, where a few fires are burninng, the
lights from the campus university pierces the night at the foot of tower
43. Broken open by metal bars a little after 10 pm, the bookshop is witness
to a continuous procession of 'customers' who leave, loaded down with
plastic bags on which you can read 'Les Librairies du SAVOIR' (TN publicity
slogan).

Inside books are strewn over the floor. 'Help yourself!' shouts a big type,
who is destroying the computer data behind the counter. Amidst the sound of
broken glass, and the frantic activities of the demonstrators, students are
doing their shopping. Two worlds meet without recognising each other.

Dressed in a pullover and a duffle coat one young man asks his neighbour,
who is filling a bag with stationary, where the chemistry papers are. From
the mouth of a student of Art History the wordds pour out, 'It's crazy what
they are doing, you can't approve but at the same time it's too late, best
take advantage of the situation. I can never buy myself any books, the
feeling of power at being able to help yourself without paying... it's
unbelievably exciting'.

This was the scene on November 21st - the end of a demonstration marked by
incidents (...) threatening to start again throughout the night with ten
times the violence. Shortly before 7 pm, Thursday, there were incidents
around the university of Jussieu. Three cars were overturned by groups of
young people. A fistful of molotov cocktails were thrown at the riot police
at place Jussieu. Behind the university gates was set up a type of
barricade with tables, chairs, rubbish bins...

'If the riot cops come into the uni there will be big trouble', a small
well-organised group w earing sweatshirts with white hoods, began to sack
the campus. Smashed up with sledgehammers, the concrete of the forecourt
was transformed into projectiles which came raining down on the roofs of
the cars parked outside.

'We are hungry', shouted voices from the cafeteria at the entrance to the
university. 'Can't we get the keys?' asked one studdent. At about 7.45 the
cafeterias windows were smashed in with metal bars. A crowd of
demonstrators and students piled inside. Drink and food vending machines
were quickly destroyed and theircontents consumed. 'There's enough for
everyone'. The hungry got behind the fast food counter and set up an
improvised restaurant service.

Meanwhile in amphitheatre 44, the national co-ordinating body was having a
meeting. Militants from UNF and UNEF-ID were in attendance but also many
grassroots delegates who had come in from outside the city elected by
general assemblies. At the entrance to the amphitheatre a roll call was
made of the various towns one by one. Sandwiches are eaten annd folk warm
up to the idea of the '4 billion franc reserve fund' of the university
presidents.

Some expressed their concerns quickly blaming the anarchists alone for the
disorder some meters away. Members of the CNT (National Confereration of
Labour), dressed in black leather, with scarves and flags under their arms
deny it.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEFERRED

The tension was mounting with constant attempts to gain entry from the very
excited young people. Well organised they fell back and came on again and
again. Whenn finally most of the delegates from Paris and other cities had
got in those on the doors gave up unnder the pressure. It was chaotic. The
group which could have formed the coordinating committee made off to the
Arab World Institute.

The General Assembly was finally ajourned until 8.30 the following morning
to take place at Censier. In amphitheatre 45 a wild General Assembly took
place infiltrated by some of the go-to-the-limits militants of Paris 8
Saint Denis along with a postal worker calling for a general strike and
some railway workers. Drinks and food from dispensers, half consumed, were
strewn everywhere. Standing on a table someone was waving a huge black flag
with a red star. One young person was clutching bags from the bookshop
whilst being pushed by one of his friends, 'Drop it you'll get done as you
go out... the riot cops are everywhere' Bags fall to the ground. 'We've got
to have a discussion' shouted someone who nobody was listening to. A vote
was taken in complete disorder on a motion from Saint
Denis saying, 'no to the false negotiators'. Free public transport,
reduction in working hours, an end to the nuclear programme, a general and
unlimited strike - all was demanded... in chaotic scenes. Suddenly the
lights were turned off - by whom wasn't clear. The 'votes' unable to be
taken by a show of hands took place on sound volume but darkness soon
discouraged these last combattants.

Beatrice Gurrey
(Le Monde 3rd December 1995)

Note - Despite some journalistic glosses this article seems to come the
nearest to what actually happened according to comrades who were present at
Jussieu.

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TESTIMONY REGARDING POLICE INTERVENTION AND JUDICIAL REPRESSION

After the student demo of 21st November, seven students know as 'rioting
demnstrators' were arrested, and judged at Paris' 23rd Correctional
Chamber, that same evening between 8.30 pm and 1.30 am. Six of them are
contesting the evidence brought against them and the police statements
claiming they contain numerous contradictions. Today we must demand the
release of these students condemned 'as an example' and with no real
evidence. Vincent, a student at Paris VII - Jussieu, who was one of the
condemned demonstrators tells us about that particular evening.

_ How were you arrested?

Vincent - At the end of the demo there was some rioting on the Boulevard St
Michel near the shop known as the Vieux Campeur. Five or six policemen in
civilian clothes had taken refuge in the shop because some of the 'rioters'
were attacking them. I was there, and I saw what happened: there were some
'rioters', true, but mainly just  emonstrators. Firstly the cops carried
out a preliminary charge, taking some demonstrators into the Vieux Campeur.
Then they charged a second time. At that moment I turned my back on them,
someone
shouted a warning and I began to run. I was knocked down twice, I got up
but the third time a cop stopped me by twisting my arm. I had such bad
bruising that a doctor told me not to work for 12 days... The cop
handcuffed me and took me back into the shop; he pushed me to the ground
and covered my face with my jacket saying, 'I don't want to look at your
mug'. He kicked me in the stomach, the other demonstrators received the
same treatment.

Once in the black maria he gave me a kick in the face. At the 13th
arrondissement police station there wasn't much violence apart from one
truncheoning. However in that police station I saw GUD stickers on the
typewritters and 'Present' on the tables... then we were taken to the
police depot and transfered in security vans to the court.

_ What happened during the trial?

Vincent - Seven of us were charged with 'rioting'; more precisely I was
accused of smashing a car window, attempting to steal a duvet from it and
rebellion: I deny everything, except rebellion (even in their way of using
the word). One cop also says he saw a box of fountain pens fall out of my
pocket during my arrest: I am therefore asking for finger print tests given
that I have never touched the! I am accused of rebellion which is to say I
kneed, kicked and punched them and insulted them even though there were
three of them. The prosecution described me as a very dangerous individual
who had nothing to do with the students demands and who simply came along
to
riot. The court was very harsh with every one and I was given a prison sentence.

In fact the trial was a farce, based simply on police evidence. The police
went to see the shop owner who had been looted, Duriez, and he gave an
exact description of me; however, later on in the trial, he said, 'I wasn't
there so I can't describe any of the rioters'. A journalist from the
newspaper Liberation was also told by one of the shop assistants that she
couldn't identify any of the rioters and couldn't describe me.

There were other unbelievable cases: one student from Paris VIII, who was
trying to stop the riot and climbed onto a car calling on people to stop,
was given a five month suspended sentence for stealing newspapers. Or the
student who was acused of hitting a police officer with a board and was
arrested one and a half hours after the event because he had paint on his
shoes...

I will therefore file a formal complaint for injuries and false evidence.
On Wednesday I will give an explanation to the General Assembly and I
believe I will receive the support of the students. I fact I don't
understand what has happened to me: I was simply watching and suddenly
found myself defenceless at the police station

Interviewed by Nora Venitia

('Rouge' number 1662 30th Nov 1995)

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THE SOCIAL STRUGGLES ARE EXPANDING
              THEY REINFORCE THE STUGGLE AGAINST THE NATIONAL FRONT

Some people believe or would have us believe that the social movement which
is currently developping could favour the development of the ideas of the
National Front. Nothing could be further from the truth!

If it is true that the strikes are disrupting everyday life throughout
France this is not synonomous with disorder. On the contrary they prove
that the workers have managed to go beyond their individualism and
corporatism to organise their struggle collectively.

The latest spate of elections prove it: the National Front failed to
achieve the vote it had anticipated despite vigourous campaigns on the
ground (Essonne, Seine-Maritime...)

It is the mobilisations which are taking place and the depth of debate
which allow us to combat the simplistic ideas of the National Front.:

- NO, immigrants are not the cause of the failings of the social security
system!

- NO, a system of private insurance is not a solution for the workers.

- NO, putting national interests first cannot be a solution to the social
misery.

- NO, sending women back into their homes will not solve the problem of
unemployment.

Today our demands and straightforward. They are openly opposed to the
liberal logic. That is why the National Front can find no political or
social room to propagate its hatred.

Thus it is not surprising that they seek to organise at the business level
by means of pseudo associations which pretend to defend everything and
nothing: bosses, users...

The struggle against the National Front has everything to gain from a
united, strong and campaigning union movement. That is why we, the militant
anti-racists, call for support of todays social movement.

Let us be vigilant and let us stregthn the struggle against the ideas of
hatred and exclusion which are the essence of the National Front.

Comite' Ras l'front de Paris XIIIe
6/11/95

(Pamphlet distributed by militant anti-fascists on the pavements of the
13th arrondissement)

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Politicise your worries and worry the politicians.

IF YOU MOVE, IF WE MOVE TOGETHER THEN... ALL IS POSSIBLE

The social confrontation is spreading like wildfire! The 'Juppe' Plan' is
the last staw which will break the camels back. After the students, the
railway workers, the RATP workers (TN regional transport system) and the
postal workers come the medical workers, Air France and Air Inter workers,
lorry drivers, teachers and many others... they all come to danse.

By wanting to submit social seecurity and pensions to the laws of profit,
under the pretext of needed 'reforms', the government is not only attacking
'sectional interests', it is calling into question fundamental social
rights which concern us all... that is to say the growth of social
inequalities at every level.

Today the 'Juppe' Plan' is simply the perfection of a generalised process
of rendering our existential conditions ever more insecure: an attack on
salaries (rise in VAT, new social security contributions, wage freezes,
higher taxes on income, reductions in unemployment benefit) the development
of forms of under paid under employment (after school and community work
it's 'business'), sectoral reconstruction plans (sackings, mobility,
flexibility, relocalisation), growth in inequality of access to public
services (rise in the cost of using the RATP, the closure of maternal and
junior protection centres, rise in medical costs etc)...

Some would have us believe that this is a revolt of the 'well off'. Good
joke. The workers in the public sector are being reproached for not
accepting that which has been imposed of the private sector: the
lengthening of the number of years of pension contributions from 37 and a
half to 40 years, the degradation of working conditions, the loss of jobs,
reduced workforces and fiscal raids on income... Simply not to go under
becomes a 'pivilege'.

On the contrary, the strikers of these last few weeks have opened a breach
in the consensus of passivity and resignation. Beyond the evident need to
squash the 'Juppe' Plan', and those problems specific at every level, the
demands which are coming to light today in the movement go well beyond
those 'categories' into which they would place us: they express a need to
defend not only what we have won but also to grab back a minimum quality of
life.

- The right to a guaranteed income, in particular for the unemployed and
those in unstable positions.

- A huge reduction in working hours so we can all work... less,=
differently...

- Effective equality of access to social services such as health.

- The repeal of repressive and racist laws and regulations such as the
infamous 'Pasqua Laws' (TN Pasqua was a former Hoem Secretary to the right
of the right).

At the grass roots it is not only support for the strikers which is
necessary, but also our participation in the general movement: we are
neither 'spectators' nor simple 'users' but workers (public and private),
the insecure, the unemployed, students, school attenders; some are on
strike some aren't but we have the same problems we are all in the same
boat, we are victims of the same social regression.

Do the laws of economy condemn us? Let's burn the statute book! To
struggle, to achieve dialogue, to imagine and build other ways of living
together it is, now more than ever, the time for our rage, our anger, our
needs and our desires so that this generalised disatisfaction should become
a movement of
generalised social confrontation, so that Chirac and Juppe' should step
aside and that we grab the maximum...

Our arms are occupation, requisition, expropriation, direct democracy,
autonomy, resistance, general strike...

Our goals are equality, justice, solidarity, mutual aid and Freedom

Collectif '18e Parallele' (Paris)
Collectif 'Vendedi 12' (Paris)
Scalp 20e / Ennemi public Numero 20 (Paris)
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Nantes - 12th December 1995

At least 50000 marched calmly. There was an impressive libertarian presence
(between 1000 and 2000 people) seeing as the school attenders had been
drawn in....

We were able to hear slogans such as, 'stop the police! stop the
dictatorship!' In effect once again Nantes is under a state of seige where
the security forces have taken over the town centre. Riot police patrol at
will. There have already been arrests at the Place Royale and there is a
student hunt going on (there have been acts of police violence).

We should note that a wonderful toy has made a reappearance at Nantaise
Square: 'Lancelot', or at least his twin, a superb water cannon belonging
to the national police (all in white with stripes of red and blue). Let's
hope that once again the westerly wind will blow its flow onto the somewhat
overheated cops.

On the university side, despite the strike yesterday a number of classes
are now taking place and we will certainly have to put the picket lines in
place  again.

Nantes: where the strike is radical but hard work...

Later

Lacenaire

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THE 'WITHOUT RIGHTS' ARE OCCUPYING 'BEAUBOURG'
(THE CENTRE POMPIDOU)

As of 2.30 pm several hundred of the unemployed, homeless, paperless and
incomeless have been occupyingg the Beauburg cultural centre with the aim
of launching a real and permanent forum for debate concerning exclusion and
for convergence with the social movement.

This occupation, renewable every evening is non-violent and will respect
the cultural activities of the site (...) Pour a fair distribution of
wealth and a massive reduction in working hours, so that everyone, French
or immigrant can have a job the wherewithall to live and to regain their
rights.

Calling on the AC, APEIS, The committee for the homeless, CADAC, CIMADE,
DAL, Droits devant

Contact: Droits devant: 45 44 35 22

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English version by
FREEDOM PRESS
http://www.lglobal.com/TAO/Freedom