la banlieu brule

i've been watching with interest the scenes spreading from paris' banlieu to the rest of the country (and perhaps beyond into belgium and germany). it is interesting to see the mainstream media's pro-establishment portrayal of the rioters as anti-social troublemakers, with little understanding of their motivations. the independent's headline today is getting there with its ironic look at the liberte, egalite and fraternite of modern france, but sadly the article itself is all about the politicians and the violence, with little analysis of what has fuelled the fire.

i feel a special connection to this issue having lived in the suburbs of paris myself a few years back. the place i lived was suresnes, a rather sleepy place to the west of paris, quite removed from the areas that are errupting into insurrection at the moment, but my year gave me a bit of insight into french society and its dispossessed. the year i was there ('00/'01) was a year of political upheaval too. september 11th occurred, le pen made it to the last two in the presidential elections, and chirac was shot at during the bastille day parades. i was involved in some of the anti-fascist marches that took place in protest against le pen, and quickly learnt how to say world trade centre with a french accent.

french society is very divided. the research department i was working for consisted of an entirely white european research team, whilst cleaners and chauffeurs, were almost entirely black and brown. this is, of course, true in areas of britain too, but i found it more striking in a country where both working class and middle class cultures were alien to me. to cut a long story short, there were some people who mattered and some who were a persistant nuisance, to be tolerated with contempt, or suppressed when they got out of hand. the events of the last few days will have the middle classes shaking in their beds as the downtrodden decide that enough's enough.

i found this call to arms on paris indymedia and will attempt to do a very shoddy translation of some of the key parts. i think it's interesting because it actually seems to be an articulation of the rioters' motivations from one of their own:

Nous voulons vivre. Vous nous faîtes crever. Vous envoyez vos C.R.S., vos flics aux grévistes, à tous ceux et toutes celles qui luttent. L'Etat veut nous diviser, nous devons répondre par la solidarité, et ce de partout que ce soit à Marseille, Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon… La réquisition, ce n'est pas pour l'Etat…

[we want to live. you crush us. you send the c.r.s (french riot police, militant thugs), your cops to the strikers, to all those who struggle. the state wants to divide us, we must respond with solidarity and all that we can in marseille, paris, bordeaus, lyon... the requisition, it is not for the state...]

Si aux mains de l'Etat, la force s'appelle droit, aux mains de l'individu, elle se nomme action. C'est maintenant qu'il faut agir… Les commissariats, préfectures, commerces, doivent brûler, pour que le capitalisme -et tous les dégâts de la course aux profits- cesse de nous affecter, et que pour l'Etat n'intervienne plus dans notre vie quotidienne.

[if in the hands of the state, the force is called right, in the hands of the individual it is called action. it is now that we must agitate... the commissariats (police stations), prefectures (local authorities), commercial centres, must burn, so that capitalism - and all the (somethings?) in the pursuit of profits - cease to affect us, and that the state no longer intervenes in our lives.]

La religion est un danger, il ne faut pas l'oublier. Elle ronge nos libertés, nos désirs, à nous rendre docile… Nos ancêtres ont trop donné… Enfin, il est facile de nous faire peur en trouvant l'adversaire « terrorisme ». Ils ne pourront pas toujours régner en désignant un ennemi.

[religion is a danger, it is necessary not to forget. it (does something?) to our liberties, our desires, to make us docile... our ancestors gave too much(?)... finally, it is easy to make us afraid by finding the adversary "terrorism". they cannot always reign in designing an enemy.]

Nous devons rien attendre des partis politiques ou des centrales syndicales. Il n'y a pas de dialogues possibles avec le pouvoir, que ce soit l'Etat ou mon patron. Je ne veux rien négocier, je veux ni Etat ni patron.

[we must never wait for political parties or central syndicates. there is no dialogue possible with power, whether it is the state or my boss. i don't ever want to negotiate, i don't want the state or the boss.]

Et maintenant ? Brûlons, sabotons, rêvons, créons…

[and now? burn, sabotage, dream, create...]

fancy printing that tomorrow the independent? didn't think so