Ramones

Larzac 2003 is a demonstration which proceeded 8 with the August 10th 2003, on the plate of the Larzac, close to Millau in France. It was an enormous gathering of the altermondialists, which would have joined together at least 200  000 people, more 300  000 according to the organizers. Stoppings were set up to stop the surge of too many new arrivals for the capacity of reception of the site.

The goal announced of this event, suggested in 2002 by the altermondialist Jose Bove and organized by the Association for the installation of Larzac (APAL), was the preparation of a against-debate to the Fifth Ministerial conference of OMC of the 10 to the September 14th 2003 with Cancún, Mexico. The choice of the Larzac was highly symbolic system since it also corresponded to the 30^ème birthday of a great mobilization of support for the inhabitants of Larzac opposed to the extension of a military camp. Who more is, the imprisonment of Jose Bove (in particular after being condemned for actions of " mowing of GMO), historical figure of the fight of Larzac, ensured an important promotion the event. Jose Bove was released besides some time before the event and thus could take part in it.

The slogan of the event was: “Of other worlds are possible”

The demonstration

Various actors of social movements (political, trade-union, associative) there were present.

Various topics were approached in the debates:

• Liberalization of the services.
• Privatization of water
• Water: Pollution - conflicts - alternatives
• GMO
• School and Marchandisation, to see Liberalization of teaching in France
• Universalization
• Decentralization
• the Agriculture, the Agreement of Marrakech, and prospects for public Cancun
• Cultural policy of the services and contract workers
• Reforms of the retirements
• Energy and public services
• Marchandisation of health, and social security
• colonial and warlike Management of the planet
• Equitable trade
• the Organic farming in the North-South relationships

Various stands representing various mobilities were present there:

• a stand on the Free software, where the computer was supplied by photovoltaic panels of cells.
• an Anarchistic stand where one could in particular find the book the Anarchists and Internet , whose chapter is devoted to Wikipédia.
• the Peasant confederation
• the Network To leave the nuclear power
• Interdependent Amnesty International
• the European Public Service Union G10 (become since the European Public Service Union Interdependent)
• the CIRC and various legal products derived from hemp.
• Latin France-America speaking about the problems of the South America and the Central America after the Plane Condor, and the dictatorships imposed by the the United States, the problems which persist, as well as the various means which the populations of these countries find to leave itself their martyrdom.
• a stand on the Esperanto
• a stand on the solar energy
• Of the squatteurs of deserted villages

After the debates, concerts were organized. Particularly committed groups were invited like Asian Dub Fondation or the singer Manu Chao. The presence of Noir Desire was empéchée by the death of the partner of Bertrand Cantat, a few days hardly before the event.

The organization

The organizers were per moments exceeded by the unsuspected success of the event. The main difficulty was to ensure the water provision, in full heat wave: the extreme temperatures gave place to queues of several hours in front of the cisterns envisaged for this purpose. The stand of the PS was dismounted and put in bulk by militants of the DAL and Anarchiste which thought (with good reason) that they (the PS) did not have nothing has to make.

See too

• Worldwide social forum

External bonds

• Official site of the demonstration

Random links:

Painting hiding place | Park Bogny-sur-Meuse | Justification (typography) | Vidofnir | County of Xuchang