Place de la Solidarité, in Wazemmes, the Tube Brigade has set up shop in the old “serpent” fountain. Armed with brass and percussion, the Monsoise fanfare – it has 200 musicians – sets the tone for this May 1st in Lille. The procession, in which took part Martine Aubry, stretches over the entire rue des Postes under a delicious sun. No metro, tram, or bus in the metropolis today (like every year). However, the demonstrators are there in numbers. Faithful to the meeting behind the great union forces in apparent unity. In the middle of the banners, a few Palestinian flags fly. Jumble on the shoulders, children and keffiyehs.
A teacher-researcher, Vincent holds his little Zacharie, 3 years old. The man’s main demand: to ride the procession on his new bike. “ This is an important moment even if I have no claim for myself personally. I feel united, especially when I see how working conditions are deteriorating at the hospital in particular. », confides this thirty-year-old.
Martine Aubry, Fabien Roussel and Le Pap 40
Among political figures, Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the PCF, fell into the arms of the militants. There Hello beautiful carries the crowd of demonstrators, where Pap 40 is also campaigning. As crazy as ever, Alessandro di Giuseppe, preacher of the Church of the Most Holy Consumption, harangues the crowd perched on a glass PAV : « Hey ecologists, stop recycling glass, throw it into nature, it creates jobs! »
Further, the artist-authors demand the opening of the right to Unemployment Insurance: “ We are here to say that culture and art generate a lot of money thanks to our works but we are a bit forgotten by social achievements », says Clio, director, who parades with around thirty people working in creation.
Salaries, purchasing power, indecent profits… Slogans were raised against austerity throughout the procession, which also echoed numerous anti-racist messages in the run-up to the European elections.
