Popular talk: Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “From the South: For Another Future through Social Resistance,” speech at May Day mass meeting, Le Autre Futur union congress, Paris, France.
These are what I have from a speech I gave at a May Day mass meeting in Paris, France, in 2000. The mass meeting was the closing even for a summit of anarchist/ syndicalist unions and groups, entitled Autre Futur and organised by the National Confederation of Labour (CNT)-Vignolles, then the largest syndicalist union in France. I was there with the Bikisha Media Collective, of Johannesburg. The meeting was followed by a 5,000-strong anarchist/syndicalist bloc in the main May Day march. The notes may not be entirely complete.
SPEECH: We live in a period of class war. Not a class war we started. It is a class war from above, it is a class war waged on our class, the working class, it is a class war from above by corporations and states.
Capitalist globalisation, the neo-liberal offensive, these open up the abyss before us. Now, more than ever before, we face a single enemy. Now, more than ever, working class solidarity, internationalism, direct action, free agreement … These are our VITAL weapons against capitalism
It does not matter if you are Asian, African. European, American. We are one class of people, with one class interest. We musty get together, unite, as workers.
Internationalism, solidarity, these are not just SLOGANS, they are weapons, tools for struggle, tools for survival. Internationalism, solidarity, these are not just NECESSITIES … more and more we are making this [these?] REALITY.
The capitalist offensive must be met with a workers’ offensive. We must not turn a sharp blade into an instrument of dull wood. We must not leave anarcho-syndicalism to gather dust. We must use it as a vital key to unlock another future, future through social resistance.
Anarcho-syndicalism is the answer to the capitalist new world order!
Anarcho-syndicalism is the answer to the capitalist new world order!
Lucien van der Walt 