Denis Godard: France: Reflections on 'Nuit Debout'

Denis Godard examines what is happeninig in France: Reflections on 'Nuit Debout'.

While the movement advances and raises these questions, the dominant trajectories of power continue to operate in the direction of reinforcing the police state, in the direction of racism and nationalism, in the direction of social attacks. The monsters are not figments of our imagination, they are really there. One of their forms is the far right. This is also why the trajectory of the movement places it necessarily in radical confrontation with the politics of the ruling class and with the State.

Once more, this confrontation will not progress in a linear manner. The movement will no doubt experience partial defeats and apparent setbacks. Without doubt it will change form more than once. It will sometimes be necessary to know how to change direction in massive and spontaneous flows, to cease beating its head against a wall so as to learn how to demolish or jump over the wall. Sometimes it will depend on initiatives taken by a minority, but which will give a lead to greater numbers.

What is certain is that after years of apparent apathy and advance of all the reactionary tendencies in French society, something has changed which renews hope. The precious stones buried under the hardened lava of previous movements have been brought to the surface by fresh-flowing lava, shining even more brightly.

The times which are coming will be no less hard. But now we are not condemned to take them lying down.

Emphasis Mine

I am living through a very radical period in history:

• Liberation of East Timor
• Campaign against mandatory sentencing
• Refugee rights
• Land rights
• Anti-One Nation protests
• Anti-globalisation protests
• May Day protests
• Anti-war demonstations
• Anti-GST protests
• Free Palestine Rallies
• Canadian student strikes
• The Occupy Movement
• SYRIZA
• Podemos
• Bernie Sanders
• Jeremy Corbyn
• Scottish Independence Movement
• Nuit Bebout
• T.J. Hickey memorial
• Free David Hicks
• Anti-HECS and University fees protests
• Gay Marriage movement

Just looking over this brief list, I have seen large and small movements come and go, expand and contract. I have seen movements tear themselves apart. I have seen victories and defeats. I expect to see more of the same.

This does not mean that I should give up. As the old boxing maxim goes, victory is about getting up more times than getting knocked down.