I went to the Anarchist Federation march for self-management today in Paris. It was a really good time. Very sunny. We started off in Belleville with a great speech about the Paris Commune of 1871 and the continuity of bourgeois power since the Bloody Week 140 years ago today. Belleville is a really working-class multicultural part of the city and we marched through chanting "Ni pays! Ni patron! Autogestion! (No country! No bosses! Self-management!)". I'd say there were around 150 of us. Being among people who rejected identifying with "France" made me feel more at home here than I ever have. Most of the time people always comment on the fact that you are foreign in boring ways (e.g. oh we beat you at the football/rugby/tennis/whatever last night, as if I cared). It was just great that so many people could get together and march in favour of a utopian (in the postive sense) idea. I'm not sure how effective a praxis marches are but it was encouraging all the same. I picked up some pamphlets while I was there so I might translate some and post them on here if I get the chance. I meant to take photos but turned up without a battery in my camera (duh!).
May 21 2011 17:07
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Malva,
Pity I just missed this while visiting Paris - the class based anti-nationalist ethos of this march is certainly encouraging.
I presume the reference to 'Self-management' here is to 'self-management of the class struggle'? There are numerous critiques on this site of theories (such as those of Castoriadis) which have sought to define the nature of opposition to capitalism and revolutionary alternatives primarily by reference to methods and forms of organisation described as 'self-managed'.
Can you give some more background on the political perspectives behind this demonstration and the reactions to the march from local people when you get time.
Thanks.