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| • Florence Cassez |
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| • Families on the streets |
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| • A fabulous welcome |
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| • Logbook of life - «Carnets de vie» |
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| Florence Cassez |
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| A gathering was organized on the Grand Place of Lille to demand her liberation. Florence was put in a Mexico jail more than four years ago. As I got off the train at the Lille station I was pleased to be welcomed by her mother, the responsible for the UAFFC (United Artists For Florence Cassez) and some members of the support committee. |
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| All of us came to show our solidarity for this 34 years old woman. What happened to her could have happened to anybody. She has become a symbol, the symbol of those who have been condemned unjustly. |
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| Florence did not have a fair trial. Condemned to 60 years of jail, she never stopped fighting even in jail. |
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I listened carefully to a woman who came from Mexico and who visits Florence regularly at the jail. Life conditions are hard. Being deprived of her liberty is terrible in the long term. But Florence still worries about the others, always helping someone out. In spite of highs and lows, she stands up. She gained the respect of everyone.
From her prison in Mexico, she knows about our gathering in Lille. Florence knows she is not alone.
On the Grand Place, musicians are playing. Sportsmen in their uniforms arrived at a run. It is the gathering of hope. One day, and we hope it will be soon; we will come back to Lille to welcome Florence. There will be a great crowd and it will be time to celebrate. |
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| Families on the streets |
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| Some fifty people of which eleven families have been expelled at dawn by the police. This happened in a suburb of Paris, in Gennevilliers, a communist city council. In 2004, these people occupied an empty building which has been empty since many years, owned by GDF-Suez who has made 4.5 billions of Euros in profits in 2009. They work hard for a starvation wage. Their demands for housing have not been accepted. |
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I immediately went to see these families on the streets. I never get used to see this spectacle today.
How is it possible to evict families without making sure they have housing? A roof is a right. To put people out into the street does not solve anything. |
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| I saw remaining on the side a tall African who was smiling at me. I approached him. « Do you recognize me? » he said to me. « I was in the past with people with no documents who had found shelter in the St. Bernard Church. Today, I have official documents, a family and I have work. » He motioned towards a building where he lives. I felt he was very happy. |
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| Some fifty policemen have come to again clear the camp. The families went to camp on the sidewalk of the city council. |
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Gennevilliers is part of the Hauts de Seine department, the richest of France. The prefect asks them to go somewhere else that is to the next neigbouring department. Negotiations at the Mayor's office gave no results.
That is why a demonstration was organized in front of the City Hall. A young African, who was part of those who have been evicted repeated in a loud voice: « We are not asking for charity, we are demanding our rights ». Spreading his cry, I quoted Victor Hugo: « We give a handout when justice has not been done ». |
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| A fabulous welcome |
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On arriving in Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, I did not know what was waiting for me. My Iranian friends had prepared a marvelous surprise for my 75th year birthday. |
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A lot of people had gathered on each side of a red carpet, a rose in their hands. Saying hello to each and every one, I took the roses and went to the large reception hall. Some persons in charge of the Iranian community gave a talk. They touched my heart. Magnificent Iranian gifts were presented to me. I took off the gift-wrappings from them with the joy of a child.
Two inhabitants of Auvers gave also a talk. When I was listening, I had the feeling of better understanding myself, in as much as they were so close to how I live. |
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It was my turn, to let my heart speak and to express my admiration for the Iranians who had left everything: country, family, work and relations. Each had parents who had been tortured or killed in the sinister jails of Iran. They do not search power or their interest and they are in France to work for the liberation of their people. They have taught me the difficult trade of resistance.
But what was important was yet to come. The surprise came from Achraf, a city north of Baghdad where lived 3,400 Iranian resistants. These people are subject to a real persecution from the Iraqi, seen as martyrs, they have become heroes for their people. I showed them my total solidarity. My friends from Achraf have produced a video about me. They talk of me as if I were part of their family. I am touched to see them and hear them.
A magnificent wooden sculpture is offered to me, a sign of their attachment.
I have a great desire to go to Achraf to meet these brothers with a great heart. It will be my greatest gift. |
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| Logbook of life - «Carnets de vie» |
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| Carnets de vie (Log-book of life) It is the title of a book that has just been published. An editor wanted to collect my texts published during these last years under the title of logbook on the Partenia site. The publication of a book is always a good opportunity to communicate. |
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When I spend the night with some families, I bring this newly published book. The members of the family take great pleasure by it. The children always discover my picture with amazement on the cover page. The parents want me to sign the book for them and there is always somebody asking me: « what did you write about in this book? »
I quickly read over this logbook of life because the media will interrogate me on these writings. I remember the film of the meetings that follow one another and some faces come back to my memory. Life is so strong! With references that are signs of hope and often of humour. On our roads, there are human beings who fight, love, suffer, celebrate...We are beings of contacts, becoming ourselves by meeting others. |
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| A famous professor of the Collège de France gave this title to his last book: «the time for altruism. » I consider altruism « as a duty to look unto others because the others help us to construct our liberties. » Come out of oneself and look unto others. |
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| When one looks at the face of the other, it is not first his difference that we should look at but the universality he bears in him. |
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