[Marxism] Struggle in Guadeloupe

[Greg Dunkel <gdunkel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yesterday there was a major demonstration in Paris of 30,000 to support the 
struggle in Guadeloupe, which appears to be reaching a conclusion.

I have not be able to find any details in English, other than it took place.  
But AFP reported that besides representatives of the major left-wing and 
center-left parties, there were contingents from the French Communist Party, 
CGT, CFDT (labor confederation influenced by the Socialist Party) and Sud 
(labor confederation influenced by the Trotskyists).  CGT, CFDT and Sud are 3 
of the 4 largest TU confederations in France.

The marchers were militant & predominantly from the Caribbean and chanted in 
Creole.  The slogans they chanted included: Colonization is done for, 200 
Euros, there, yes we can (Struggle is demanding a raise of 200 Euros a month 
for minimum wage workers in Guadeloupe.) As well as "life is expensive under 
the coconut trees."

/greg

This is a section of the French AFP dispatch that I summarized above.

La plus importante s'est dÃroulÃe à Paris oà de 10.000 (police) à 30.000 
personnes (organisateurs), la plupart d'origine antillaise, ont dÃfilà de 
RÃpublique à Nation à l'appel du collectif "Continuità Liyannaj kont 
Pwofitasyon" (LKP), soutenu par des syndicats et des partis de gauche.

Les personnalitÃs politiques, en milieu de cortÃge, semblaient vouloir rester 
discrÃtes. Figuraient notamment, en ordre dispersÃ, Harlem DÃsir (PS), Denis 
Baupin (Verts), Jean-Luc MÃlenchon (Parti de Gauche), Arlette Laguiller et 
Nathalie Arthaud (LO), Alain Krivine (NPA), suivis des cortÃges du PCF, de la 
CGT, CFDT et Sud.

La dÃputÃe de Guyane, Christiane Taubira (PRG), Ãtait Ãgalement prÃsente 
au cÃtà de la comÃdienne guadeloupÃenne Firmine Richard.

"Il faut qu'Ã la reprise des nÃgociations, le gouvernement apporte des 
rÃponses claires et non pas floues sur l'augmentation de 200 euros des 
salaires et les revendications sur les prix", a dÃclarà à l'AFP M. DÃsir.

Pariant sur l'effet de contagion, comme Olivier Besancenot (NPA) actuellement 
en Guadeloupe, Mme Arthaud a estimà que "si un mouvement aussi puissant se 
produisait en mÃtropole, le gouvernement serait forcà de reculer".

Les manifestants ont alternà chants crÃoles et slogans, le poing levÃ, 
reprenant en choeur "c'est fini la colonisation" et brandissant des pancartes: 
"200 euros ici aussi, yes we can", "la vie est chÃre sous les cocotiers".

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