For 58 days, from the 2nd may, on the initiative of the coordination 75 around 800 children, men, and women have occupied the Center of the Unions at rue Charlot (metro République) in Paris.
Something new is coming into force in this historically important location in the workers struggle in France. The occupation is made in an autonomous way against every "advice" and recommendation of the big political organizations and against the unions, and it is holding out well.
Beyond the circumstances, the particular motivations that have pushed these sans-papier workers, what is necessary to grasp is the newness of their position. Through its number of participants, by its duration, and by the place of where it is happening, this action is from now on surpassing itself. It is moving beyond the brute fact, the individuals, and inscribe itself into something more profound and essential.
That which is from now on put on the agenda by this movement is the question of the conditions of a real victory, a non-illusory one. The message of the sans-papiers is clear and resolute. Only the ones that do not want to understand it will fail to understand. Among these conditions are: to once and for all finish with their imposed infantilisation; to have an autonomous and united movement.
We are women and men standing up, responsible and capable of taking the movement into our own hands. We have our dignity. This is what the action of the sans-papiers want to, and will continue to say. After a initial mediatization of the movement because of the circumstances around the occupation the silence quickly threw its veil on the voices of the oppressed. Publicity and information are essential to the organization, the consciousness, the extension, mobilization and unity of the movement.
This necessary instrument of publicity, "le Quotidien des sans-papiers" (the Paper of the Sans-Papiers), is starting with this special number, to give the word to the isolated sans-papiers at the Center of the Unions. To give them a written form, in order for them to multiply and persist.
The wish is that this first number shall provide the foundations of a special edition capable of giving life to this information in time.
(This is a translation from french of the front page text from the first special number of "Le quotidien des sans-papiers" covering the occupation of the Center of the Unions at rue Charlot in Paris. Here is the article in french: http://quotidiensanspapiers.free.fr/w/spip.php?article1317)
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There is another article in
There is another article in english from this same number: "Where is the struggle Going?" http://libcom.org/library/where-struggle-going
The articles can also be found, in english, at the site of the occupied Center of the Unions at rue Charlot: http://bourse.occupee.free.fr/index.php?page=english