From: laurent-AT-ecn.org
Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 10:29:35 +0200
Subject: European marches against unemployment


marches97-info.eng
------------------

Paris, Thursday, 8th May 1997

MARCH DIARY  n=B07




Lisieu  Wednesday, 7th May - Brest March

At the end of April, the marchers were in the Orne region of France,
passing through the small built up areas. On 1st May, the Labour Day
demonstration was held in Alen=E7on , where the marchers headed the
demonstration.
Friday, 2nd May, the marchers took part in an action for "free transport"
for the unemployed.This is a one of the demands made by the French
unemployment groups. and taken up by the European March The marchers took a
train for Sée. Then they continued the train journey in the afternoon and
by the time they arrived in Argentan, the group had grown to forty people.
The mayor of Argentan welcomed the marchers, and in the evening there was
debat, but unfortunately  there was a low level of participation...
Saturday, 3rd May, at Condé/Noireau, then  Flers de l'Orne, where there was
a demonstration with  about a hundred people. The local Flers AC! (Action
against Unemployment), had organised this demonstration with stops at every
shut down factory, to publicised the large number of factory closures with
local redundancies  In front of the each of these factories, Flers AC! had
made huge posters showing the number of jobs lost The demonstration then
logically moved on to the local town's job centre (ANPE). Here they were
astonished to find that the entrance had been bricked up! This made a
wonderful scoop for journalists!
Sunday,  4th May, the marchers were at Domfront. They were well received by
the Federation Small Farmers, but the local mayor refused to meet them. A
demonsration was held in the town under the rain.
Monday, 5th May in Vire, a small town, but a huge demonstration with 250
people, made up mostly by college students. In Falaise on Tuesday, same
overwhelming welcome, due no doubt, to the presence of a large number
college students. 300 people joined the demonstration. A particular local
problem is the threat of hospital staff redudancies. Rural hospital staff
are threatened with job losses which they think will probably lead to
hospital closures in their area. So to draw attention to their fight, the
marchers held a silent demonstration in the hospitals in support of the
staff and their determination to maintain adeqate jobs levels and a viable
health service for the local community
Wednesday, 7th May, still in Falaise. Another visit to the local job centre
(ANPE). In the evening, a debat took place with local CFDT unionists, then
the march left for Caen, the regional capital.

Romans, Thursday, 8th May - Marches from Almeria and Barcelona

This part of the march was made up of more than 30 permanent marchers, 11
Spanish  3 Moroccan marchers and the rest are French.
The march merged with other marches from Almeria, Barcelona, Montpellier,
Avignon and a march coming from Marseilles. Of the French marchers, 8 come
from Marseilles and the others are mostly from Montpellier.

Montpellier - Avignon

Saturday, 3rd May, the arrival of the European march in Montpellier. There
was a huge turnout of nearly a 1000 people at the place de la Comédie The
welcoming committee included trade unionists (SUD, CFDT, SNUI, CGT). The
evening was festive with an animated debat.
Sunday, 4th May, departure for Nimes. A smaller welcome.  Immediately, with
local groups, the march aimed for the northern part of Nimes, where
unemployment is high in the urban priority zone (ZUP).
Local groups prepared lunch for the marchers and there was a very good
atmosphere The mayor of Nimes was also there. Next day, the marchers set
off for Avignon.

Marseilles - Avignon

After a good lunch at the town hall of the 13th and 14th arrondissement of
Marseille with 120 people, the marchers left on the 1st May ,after the
Labour Day demonstration. They stopped by at the town hall of the 15th and
16th arrondissement, then took the road for Gardianne.
Friday, 2nd May, Gardanne-Aix where 50 people turned out to welcome the
march. The evening was a mixture of music and debat.
Saturday, 3rd May, Vitrolle - Istres. In the last local elections, Vitrolle
town hall,was won by the Front National. Prudently, it was thought best for
this part of the march to be made by coach .However despite this, the
Vitrolle municipal police took down the names and addresses of members of
numerous associations of Vitrolle present in order to show their support
the march. All were taken back such openly fascist behaviour by the police.
At 11h 30, the marchers arrived in Chateaunef les Martigues.  Respite, the
mayor is a socialist. Here the march was received by the local CFDT, and
attended the reception given by the mayor. The evening was spent in Istres,
where the local mayor welcomed the march.
Sunday, 4th May, Istres-Miramas-Salon. In Miramas, the local Communist
Party mayor, joined in the demonstration. At midday there was a reception
in the Salon de Provence, with about 100 people, followed by a march
through the town which many of the people joined. The evening was spent
with the Federation of Small Farmers.
Avignon - Romans

Monday, 5th May, the two marches leave for Avignon for a joint
demonstration up to the town hall with 300 participants, including the CGT
unemployed group the Federation of Small Farmers...
Tuesday, 6th May, Orange, sadly, yet another town with a National Front
mayor ... This time people were better prepared. The Roman theatre became
the focal point for a crowd of 200 people and included delegations from
Marseilles, Montpellier etc., from there, the crowd marched through the
town shouting anti-fascists slogans. In the afternoon, the march went
through the villages north of Orange, where they were welcomed by the town
hall and the trade union F.O (Force Ouvri=E8re at the Tricastin nucclaire
centre) who put foi gras on the menu for the marcheurs!
Wednesday, 7th May. march to Valence. A demonstration was held with a 100
people.

Thursday, 8th May, a day of rest at Romans.

Monday, 5th May - Brive la Gailarde / Toulouse March

This march set out on the 1st May and joined up with the Tangiers March
went on to Bordeaux and was at Charroux (south of Poitiers) on 10th May

There was another "free transport" action for the unemployed on the train
from Cahors to Brive. At Brive, the welcoming committee, formed barely a
week ago, had practically no time to mobilise local groups. Consequently,
only a few people were present. At midday, a snack and a debat was arranged
in the local CGT's offices. Then a demonstration in the rain which was
understandably also poorly attended. At the prefecture a request was handed
in and also at the local job centre (ANPE) by a delegation of six people.
This concerned a woman, part of the delegation, demanding the right to
electricity supply, which was due to be cut off : the threat was lifted.
After the French Marches in 1994, a local women's group was set up, and
they mobilised the different associations and unions to arranged a debat
with the marchers in Cosnac at the local council offices. A satisfactory
ending to the evening.

Monday, 5th May - Besan=E7on / Grenoble March via Switzerland

The marchers set out at 9h.30, for the local job centre (ANPE) and occupied
it until 15h.30.
A "sayn=E8te" (a sketch) was jointly organised by SUD-PTT and theatre workers
against the privatisation of France Telecom. It was played at the ANPE, in
front of the town hall and  the local offices of France Telecom. In the
evening at 18h, about a 100 activists demonstrated outside the Chamber of
commerce and industry. The director kindly "granted" an interview for 20
minutes. He thought that job creation did not concern him (sic), and that
it was up to associations to do something about it!  Later, at 20h 30, a
conference-debat was held with Michel Husson.


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