A day for Algeria
A march of light spread over the streets of Paris as a huge crowd gathered
in order to break the accomplice silence and cry out its support of the
[beleaguered] Algerian people. Most in the crowd were young people, indignant
of the barbarian slaughters on the increase on the other side of the Mediterranean.
I was happy to find myself next to a group of Algerian women, whose struggle
for peace I so admire. It has taken time, too much time, for people to take
to the streets, to speak out and shout, "Stop the massacres!"
The violence spreading over Algeria did not start recently. The civil war began five years ago and already there are 80,000 victims. The demonstrations which were held in and around Paris demand for an international inquiry committee to investigate the slaughters that have terrorized Algeria. Will this committee exist one day? International pressure will have to force Algerian authorities to accept its convening.
For the time being, however, pressure from the people is a signal to
the French government to stop backing a military regime which gives so little
thought to human rights and democracy. With the completion of this march,
the civilian population in Algeria now know that they are no longer alone
to offer resistance.
Jacques Gaillot