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May 4, 2000
CNT in major show at Paris May Day
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>:From Ainriail - the Irish Anarchist bulletin list
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After a week of debate and festivities, organised under the
theme 'For Another Future', the Confédéracion Nationale des
Travailleurs (CNT-AIT) concluded with one of its largest ever
showings at the annual May rally and march in the centre of
Paris on May 1. Estimates of the size of the CNT led anarchist
section varied, but somewhere in the region of between three
and six thousand would seem right; French mainstream media
gave an estimate of 4,000.
The libertarian section gathered from noon onwards in Place
des Fetes. The CNT and a variety of its sections in health,
construction, education and media were joined by sizeable
groups from other organisations including the Anarchist Federation;
a brass band from the South Wales NUM were special guests
and received a rapturous welcome. There were also international
delegations from libertarian unions such as the SAC (Sweden)
and the CGT (Spain) as well as representatives from a host
of other revolutionary unions such as the IWW, Unicobas and
USI (Italy) and two new unions from the Ukraine and Siberia;
anarchists from Germany, South Africa, Ireland and England
also attended.
It was clear for the sheer organisation of the 'For Another
Future' festival that the CNT-AIT is riding on a wave of new-found
confidence and strength. This was also evident along the entire
route of the march from Place des Fetes to Place de la Republic
where CNT organisers led a chorus of signing, dancing and
chanting. By the time the anarchists finally entered Place
de la Republic to join with reformist unions like the CGT
for the final parade to Bastille, the mood was exuberant.
In past years the CNT has been forced into a section of the
main May Day march reserved for political organisations -
a blatant attempt by the Communist Party to deny the CNT's
presence on the shop-floor and to curtail its growth. This
year the march organisers bowed to the inevitable and the
CNT took its rightful place in the syndicalist (union) section
of the march. This victory for the CNT over their implacable
enemies in the Communist CGT while small in nature was symbolically
very important. Anarcho-syndicalism is a resurgent force on
the French left. Salud comrades!
Kevin Doyle
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>From Ainriail - For more info see
http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/inter/email_lists.html
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