By Sam Wainwright
PARIS — The shock of seeing Jean-Marie Le Pen's fascist National Front (FN) win the mayoral elections in the town of Vitrolles, the fourth town to fall under its control, has sparked widespread concern and debate about the "Lepenisation" of French society. On March 29, 60,000 people marched through the winding streets of Strasbourg to protest against the conference of the FN being held nearby. When the conference began, a group of locals with suitcases crossed the nearby border into Germany, a symbolic reference to the Germans who crossed the other way to flee the Nazi terror.
The rally was called by the local Justice and Liberty Coalition, which brought together more than 80 anti-racist, trade union, political and citizens' organisations. People travelled from all over France to attend, and locals lined the streets cheering the marchers and holding up their own placards.
As is the tradition in France, people marched for four hours in what was more like a slow-moving street party than a protest march. Especially inspiring was the contingents of Germans who came to show their support.
The success of the day owed little to the supposedly anti-racist "mainstream" politicians. The governing conservative coalition parties advised people not to protest, claiming that it would only help publicise the FN! Meanwhile, the opposition Socialist Party (PS) and much of the trade union leadership put their support behind the mobilisation only at the last moment.
Fortunately, the dereliction of the traditional parties and organisations was compensated for by the dynamism of Ras l'front, a nationwide anti-fascist network at the forefront of the campaign. Also very noticeable was the 2000-strong contingent of the Revolutionary Communist League, France's largest and most influential far left party.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, who had to spend the day under police protection, claimed that the protestors were being "manipulated by freemasons, filthy rap music singers and self-proclaimed intellectuals".
The anti-fascist movement is planning to make May Day its next big public mobilisation. In the last year, the FN has tried to establish its own "trade unions". This May Day it will be made very clear that fascism and racism have no place in the workers' movement.