On 15 October 1983 a small group of young people from the start-es of immigration, from
Marseille, a march for equality and against racism. PS power is not willing to let it
settle a racist mass movement and self-organized. In the years that followed, he will do
anything to recover and sweeten. ---- In autumn 1983, after a deadly summer, racism is
everywhere. While the FN Le Pen has not even managed to gather 500 signatures needed to
run for president in 1981... the fascist party does not commence unless the resistible
rise. It must be said that the "soil" is definitely there. Burrs and police violence
multiply against young black or Arab Popular neighborhoods and workers. Racist crimes
perpetrated by many Dupont Lajoie circumstances are commonplace. Most go unpunished[1].
Birth of state racism "Left"
FN pierced municipal March 1983. In September of the same year, during elections, a common
list RPR-FN seized the city of Dreux in the Eure-et-Loir. Of course, the traditional right
succumbs to the lure of racism. Especially since many of the old West and Gud retrain
right: Longuet, Madelin, Devedjian then make their "institutional turn"[2].
But the left in power since 1981 is no exception. Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy, opens the
ball frightful. Between 1982 and 1984, the automotive industry is shaken by a wave of
strikes in which skilled workers, often immigrants, take the upper hand[3]. Mauroy
strikers say they were manipulated by "foreign religion." Defferre, Minister of the
Interior, will speak about "Shiite fundamentalists." The Minister of Labour, Jean Auroux,
meanwhile declared on France Inter antenna February 10, 1983: "When workers take an oath
on the Koran in a labor movement, there is a risk of political or social destabilization
of our country". The amalgam, ashamed, for dividing the workers bear fruit: in 1984,
non-strikers attack immigrant workers Talbot-Poissy with cries of "Arab in the oven, the
Seine!".
Undeniably the Government PS-PC decided to caress the FN electorate in the direction of
hair growth. In late August, Mitterrand himself did he not said: "We must return illegal
immigrants"? A series of steps in this direction is also taken by the government[4].
The Communist Party, two of his "exploits" are in everyone's memory. On 24 December 1980
the PCF mayor of Vitry-sur-Seine, Paul Mercieca bulldozed a hotbed of immigrant workers in
construction. Barely two months later, on 8 February 1981, the mayor of
Montigny-l?s-Cormeilles, a Robert Hue, future general secretary of the Communist Party, is
organizing a "popular" rally outside the building of a Moroccan family unjustly accused of
drug trafficking.
This is definitely not the left side of the government, yet prompt the rhetoric that young
immigrants-are undergoing frontline crimes and racist harassment every day can hope to
find an ally. It's good to have to fight it down.
1983: The founding work
In the early 1980s, the decade that followed working insubordination May 68 ends with the
defeat of the steelworkers Lorraine and the victory of Fran?ois Mitterrand (look for the
error). If immigrant workers in the automotive industry are not decided to drop the case,
as we have seen above, the unemployment and the crisis has hit their daughters and son. In
the cities of Lyon, the raids, claiming acts of delinquency, are all operations control
population facing a social situation that tends. To Minguettes, a suburb of Lyon, a group
of young people is determined not to let it go and make the SOS Futures Minguettes
association whose claims relate to police violence but also on housing issues in
neighborhoods. To be heard, they organize a hunger strike. Las, June 20, 1983, Dja?dja
Toumi, president of the association is seriously wounded in the stomach by a policeman.
With the support of left-wing Christians - Christian Delorme, Minguettes pastor, Pastor
Jean Costil, but also organizations such as the Cimade - SOS Youth Futures Minguettes
decide a national initiative that will be a march to the equality and against racism.
Twenty marchers leave Marseille in mid-October, decided to join Paris-es. Walking is
hosted by collective ad-hoc support (where we find the activists far left), by anti-racist
associations, residents and inhabitants of the neighborhoods. In walking, some are
choosing to accentuate the "humanist" nature of the process, to the detriment of the story
claims including police brutality. The killing of Habib Grimzi, defenestrated
Bordeaux-Ventimiglia train by a group of legionaries in the night of November 14, has put
the issue of hate crimes in the center and at the finish of the walk event on December 3,
the families of the victims parade with the portrait of their loved ones.
Another question walkers: the self-organization and independence from the PS. If walking
is definitely a self-organized end to end process, illusions about the "socialist
comrades" still weigh only two years after 1981. Evidenced by the intervention, after the
arrival event, Georgina Dufoix, Secretary of State for the Family and the reception at the
Elysee Palace a delegation of marchers.
In columns ! Lutter, the Union of Libertarian Communists (UTCL ancestor AL), written by
Patrick Draler, summarizes the situation: "Racism State, racism right, everyday racism,
that them whatever the cause, the need for development of a widest possible anti-racist
movement is becoming increasingly urgent. For libertarian communists, that racism must be
uncompromising and independent vis-?-vis the parties and power."[5]
1984: Convergences and divergences...?
Undeniably, walking 1983, and 100,000 demonstrators on arrival is an event which has in
asserting that racism mass that UTCL Calls. The dynamics is restarted in 1984. A
collective, Convergence 84 is created with a view to organizing a new walk. Whereas the
theme of equality has gradually cleared during the course of 1983, it is on this that 84
Convergence wants to focus[6]. For this, several steps are organized which will converge
on Paris on 1 December 1984: Asian, African, North African, Portuguese, etc.. will, this
time, not walk, but "roll" together! Because it is "mob" 'rollers and rolling machines
that will tour France. With a slogan in support: "France is like a moped, it needs to
advance the mixture." And most importantly, Convergence takes to keep his distance from
the PS.
Again, the steps are different backgrounds the opportunity to trade with associations, the
population of neighborhoods and community support, again antiracist activists ensure
mobilization of land. However, a gap will widen between the walkers and the Parisian
collective organization that establishes in "national coordination." Liem Khe-young
libertarian activist participates in Brest-Paris route. It will point, from his experience
rouleuse the limits of convergence: "There was a certain conformism Convergence. Political
terms were taboo. We had kind of instructions: we drove for equality against racism, and
that's all. This is the biggest complaint that I have to do to Convergence: to have
remained very vague generalities. It could very well be without it claims to be
"recovered". On very concrete issues that could well point out, as the Planning and
education. There was a division of labor. The riders were there just for show and Paris,
there were many thinkers of the National Coordination."[7]
This "break" resulting in a crisis in the national coordination: December 1, against the
advice of some of his comrades, Farida Belghoul[8] gives a speech fallback amalgamating
antiracist activists and field the "support" PS power, which shocks among the 30,000
protesters present.
1985: Divide and Conquer
I must say that on 1 December 1984 saw the emergence of an association that plays a key
role in the recovery strategy implemented by the PS. Thousands of badges "Hands off my
buddy" flood the arrival event. SOS Racisme - and his little yellow hand - has been
propelled in large media reinforcements, as the official spokesman of immigrant youth.
If Convergence bursts, undermined by its divisions, SOS Racisme and his "friends" will
benefit from the vacuum created, grants and support PS part of the extreme left (including
CSF). Focusing on Le Pen and the FN, SOS Racisme is against a high tolerance with
anti-immigrant measures taken by the government "left". However, in the field, many local
associations provide grip of racism by the first and primary stakeholders.
It is in this context that in 1985 two competing preparing steps[9]. The organizers
survivors marches in 1983 and 1984 set in motion a "Walk for civil rights" protest focused
on the right of foreigners to vote, wanting mobilize against all forms of discrimination
and demanding emergency measures for neighborhoods. Opposite SOS Racisme evokes a nebulous
"European Journey." Part of the collective organization of the March for Civil Rights
Division refuses and tries a unitary approach by proposing a common arrival in two steps,
on December 7. But if SOS-Racisme relented - his own work as a flop - it's the majority of
the organizers of the march for civil rights who will refuse this proposal and maintain
"his" arrival event on November 30th! Self-organization stalled and no work will take over
in 1986... This year, 35 members of the FN enter the National Assembly in favor of
legislative occurring proportional. The construction of a mass movement against racism
remains on the agenda.
Theo Rival (AL Orleans)
WHEN THE RACISM KILLS
September 28, 1982 in the city Saint John, Bron, a suburb of Lyon, Abdelkrim Messalti and
Ahmed Boutelja get shot in.22 long rifle - caliber then counter - by Jean-Claude Lopez.
Ahmed Boutelja unsuccessful. His murderer is released after six months (it will eventually
be tried in 1985).
M'Raidi Nasser, 17, had the misfortune to ride without helmets or lights on the night of
February 13 to 14, 1983. He is chased by Brigadier Lapeyre - 1.6 grams of alcohol in the
blood - which will house a bullet in the head of the young Nasser, fell to the ground. The
sergeant is sentenced to the suspension in 1987 by the Criminal Court of Nanterre who
considers that there is an "accident".
July 9, 1983, La Courneuve, cited 4000: a bunch of kids having fun making firecrackers
explode. A neighbor, "exceeded" pulls. Ouannes Toufik, 10, was killed. The media will
struggle to qualify the crime of one adjective that is necessary, that racist.
AN ON THE OTHER
June 20, 1983 A police officer pulls Dja?dja Toumi, president of SOS Futures Minguettes
association.
July 9 Little Ouannes Toufik, 10, was killed by a shot in La Courneuve.
September partial Municipal de Dreux: BPR-FN list wins the mayor.
Oct. 15 March for equality and against racism from Marseille
November 14 is Habib Grimzi defenestrated by legionaries in the night train Bordeaux
Ventimiglia
December 3 Arrival of walking in Paris, 100,000 people demonstrated.
June 1984 European elections, the FN pass the 10% of votes. His score is identical to the PCF.
December 1 Arrival in Paris of "rollers" and "rolling machines" Convergence 84. 30,000
people demonstrate against racism and for equality. First appearance of SOS Racisme.
November-December 1985 In the confusion and division, two anti-racist marches are organized.
[1] H. Mogniss Abdallah, Put up, here we come! , Libertalia, chronicled in AL No. 226
March 2013 can also read the interview with Mognis H. Abdallah appeared in QED No. 115 of
October 2013.
[2] Marco Sazzetti, Right all! , a collection of articles on the rightward political life
in the 1980s to be published in February 2014 AL.
[3] Vincent Gay, "Strikes dignity to struggle against layoffs: migrant workers Citroen and
Talbot, 1982-1984", published on the website of the journal Contretemps.
[4] On this point, see "1981: PS-PCF government parks the immigrant-es ,"AL # 209,
September 2011.
[5] "Anti-racism a priority battle ," Fight! No. 6, December 1983.
[6] Albano Cordeiro, "Convergence 84: return a failure,"Plein law No. 65-66, July 2005
[7] "It rolls, it rolls, the suburbs..." Fighting! No. 9, February 1985.
[8] Who now appears with Alain Soral...
[9] "Together for Equality,"Fight! No. 14, December 1985.
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