“WE ARE NOT FOOLED”

This is a translation of the “Nous ne sommes pas dupes” petition found here http://www.nousnesommespasdupes.fr and there: https://www.change.org/p/collectif-yellow-submarine-gmail-com-l-appel-des-artistes-et-créateur-rice-s-nous-ne-sommes-pas-dupes

WE ARE NOT FOOLED
THE CALL OF ARTISTS AND CREATORS

For several months now, the Yellow Vest movement, unprecedented in the history of the Fifth Republic, has been beating the pavement of our streets.

A citizens’ movement, born spontaneously, that does not belong to any political party.

A movement that mobilizes tens of thousands of French people every Saturday for more than 6 months, and which is supported by millions of others.

A movement that demands essential things: a more direct democracy, greater social and fiscal justice, radical measures in the face of the state of ecological emergency.

What they ask, they ask for for everyone. We are the Yellow Vests. We artists, technicians, authors, of all these cultural professions, precarious or not, are absolutely concerned by this historical mobilization.

And we proclaim it here: we are not fooled.

We can see the excessively worn-out strings to discredit the Yellow Vests, described as anti-ecologists, extremists, racists, breakers… The manoeuvre does not catch, this story does not fit the reality even if mainstream media and government spokespersons would like us to believe it.

Like the violence they highlight every Saturday.

Yet the most alarming violence is not there.

The toll of repression is getting worse every week. As of April 19, 2019, there were 1 death, 248 head injuries, 23 eborgneous, 5 hands torn off among the demonstrators. It is unworthy of our republic.

And we are not the first to denounce it: Amnesty International, the League for Human Rights, the UN, the European Union, the Human Rights Defender, all condemn the police violence on the Yellow Vests in France.

The number of injuries, broken lives, arrests and convictions is beyond comprehension. How can we still exercise our right to demonstrate in the face of such repression? There is no justification for setting up a so-called “anti-cracker” legislative arsenal that violates our fundamental freedoms.

We are not fooled. The most threatening violence is economic and social. It is the one of this government that defends the interests of a few to the detriment of all. It is the violence that marks the bodies and minds of those who crash at work to survive.

Then we must – this is a historic emergency – collectively confront the ecological crisis and find just and effective solutions, in order to leave a liveable world for our children.  We are not fooled. This government has consistently backed down on this issue so as not to worry those responsible for the announced disaster. The Yellow Vests denounce him as the environmental activists. Today, the convergence of social and environmental struggles is underway.

We will continue to be outraged, stronger, more often, more often, more together.

And today, we are calling for a new history to be written.

We writers, musicians, producers, editors, publishers, sculptors, photographers, sound and image technicians, scriptwriters, choreographers, designers, painters, circus artists, actors,  producers, dancers, creators of all kinds, are revolted by the repression, manipulation and irresponsibility of this government at such a pivotal moment in our history.

Let us use our power, that of words, speech, music, image, thought, art, to invent a new narrative and support those who have been struggling on the street and at roundabouts for months.

Nothing is written. Let’s draw a better world.

A dream you dream alone is only a dream.
A dream you dream together is reality.

John Lennon

Yellow Submarine Collective

To join us or contact us:
collectif.yellow.submarine@gmail.com

Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/collectif-yellow-submarine-gmail-com-l-appel-des-artistes-et-créateur-rice-s-nous-ne-sommes-pas-dupes