MASS PROTESTS ON 18 DECEMBER 2020
Act 4 of the Sans-Papiers: Equality, Freedom, Papers!
Despite the hundreds of kilometers covered by the undocumented migrants during Act 3, the National March of the Undocumented Migrants from 19th September to 17th October ; despite the thousands of towns and villages the march passed through ; despite the hundreds of networks of activists that mobilized, the endless number of encounters and the tens of thousands of participants on the demonstration in Paris on 17th October…. Nothing ! Emmanuel Macron had not a word for the undocumented migrants.
Macron and this government are contemptuous of the inhabitants of this country whether they have documents or not.
They talk about freedom. But after refusing freedom of movement for migrants, they are now limiting this freedom more and regularly for the whole population. The government claims to defend freedom of expression but banned the National March of the Undocumented Migrants from marching towards the presidential Elysée palace on 17th October. Furthermore, they do not respect the right to asylum when at the same time the French state is in part responsible for wars and shameful economic partnerships which cause people to flee into exile.
They talk about equality but they refuse it for the undocumented migrants and inequalities are exploding throughout society.
They say they’re acting for our health but all they have in mind is the defense of the profits of the richest. That’s what they call the economy but they refuse to give the necessary resources for hospitals and schools. They turn migrants out onto the streets, continue to evict the poor from their homes, cause unemployment to soar, leave the undocumented migrants on the front line without protection and fill up the detention centres.
The government is part of the problem in creating crises in this country and it magnifies them, spreading misery, despair, racism and hatred when what we need is more solidarity, freedom and equality.
During the National March of the Undocumented Migrants we showed that we were the solution. On 17th October, despite the curfew, despite the horror of the assassination of a teacher the day before, despite the blackout by the media of our movement and despite the ban on demonstrating through the whole of the west of Paris, there were tens of thousands of us, together, with or without documents, coming from across the whole of the country to demonstrate for freedom and the equality of rights, for the regularization of all undocumented migrants, united against racism, xenophobia and islamophobia.
Consequently we are making a call to reinforce the movement with Act 4.
New collectives of undocumented migrants have been formed. They must be strengthened and developed in each city, each neighbourhood, each hostel and housing centre.
Collectives of solidarity exist and are mobilising throughout the country. Without them, the March would never have been possible. In places where none exist, they must be formed, and in places where they do exist, we must develop their mobilisation and activities.
Unions and their membership have organised alongside undocumented workers. We ask undocumented migrants who are employed to join a trade union and we call on unions to participate actively in the struggle for the regularisation of all undocumented migrants. It is not immigration that causes social dumping, the lowering of social standards is the result of unlimited inequality and the extension of precarity throughout the entire work force.
We call on everyone to participate in mobilisations organised by local union branches and federations such as the National Day of Mobilisation against Precarity and Unemployment on Saturday, December 5th and to struggle against attacks on migrants in companies and different sectors of the economy, in particular in health and education. We call for the preparation of the conditions necessary to organise an interprofessional day long strike for equality and the regularisation of undocumented migrants.
We call on people to participate in the struggles against detention centres, for a universal right to decent housing and against all deportations.
We call for a convergence ot all these efforts in a day of demonstrations in all cities and villages throughout the country on Friday, December 18th, International Migrants’ Day, for the regularisation of all undocumented migrants, the closing of all detention centres, and the right to decent housing for all.
We call on everyone to ensure the triumph of liberty, equality and solidarity.
by Women of Colour in the Global Women's Strike and Payday men's network