Mayday actions
A brief report of an anticapitalist demonstration in Dijon on April 29th

Following the call for an other global day of action against capitalism on
Mayday, some radical left activists organized an anticapitalist demonstration
in the center of Dijon, France, on April 29th. The following collectives
called people to join the demonstration : Maloka (anarchist collective),
Collectif pour des villes sans voitures (RTS-like anti-car group), Les
Tanneries (huge squatted counter-cultural center), Groupe Libertaire
(anarchist federation), CNT (International Workers Association), Groupe
Feministe non-mixte (radical feminist group), Acer Sativa (alternative music
and politics), Anarchist Black Cross, as well as a large number of individuals
involved in squatting, anarchism, anticapitalist campaigning. At 3 pm, about
300 persons gathered for a colorful protest march against globalisation and
its effects, to promote civil disobedience and partying against capitalism and
domination. A lot of people were costumed and turned the streets into a nice
carnival. Some actions were carried during the demonstration : some feminists
renamed streets with women characters to highlight the non-representation and
non-promotion of women, glued some posters around the city, and subvertized
advertisement boards. During the whole demonstration, walls were decorated
with anticapitalist, anti-car and feminist posters, and some slogans were
spray-painted. A stock-exchange was covered with large stickers and
anticapitalist messages, as well as 3 working agencies. The anti-car
collective drew some DIY bike lanes on the ground, facing the decision of the
city not to take cyclists into account. Squatters stopped in front of a
recently evicted squatted house, which used to be the home of 10  people, as
well as an alternative library and tea-room. Some demonstrators were giving
away free vegan food, and distributed flyers about genetically modified food
and the danger it represents. The demonstration continued by an occupation of
the train-station, to protest against the eviction of foreigners from France
and the racist laws that allow such evictions. After approx. 20 minutes of
occupation, the demonstration moved back to the streets. A demonstrator then
was caught by the cops, who wanted to arrest someone because of the agitation,
but everybody in the demo reacted and ran in direction of the cops who
immediately released the demonstrator and threw CS-gas to calm down the demo.
"Police is everywhere, justice is nowhere". The demo then moved to a big
plazza of the city center, where it blocked the traffic, with banners and a
sound-system. A street-party began, with music, street theatre, fruit juice
and graffiti performances. An activist climbed up to a spy camera, and hanged
a banner to it, denouncing social control and video surveillance.
Fake blood and bank notes, symbolising the suffering of the victims of
capitalism, was spread on the ground. The aims of the demonstration were to
gather some people to promote active resistance to corporate rule and global
capitalism, using civil disobedience, creative counter-culture and partying as
political means, and to participate in the global day of action (even if the
demo was organised 2 days before Mayday) to stress the fact that an
international movement against capitalism is growing. The demonstration was
followed by a non profit gig with alternative music bands at the "Tanneries",
a huge squat in Dijon.