Rally Against the Far Right in Paris
This Wednesday evening, Place de la République in Paris became the epicenter of a significant rally against the far right, organized by StreetPress in collaboration with Mediapart. The event saw the participation of numerous personalities from various fields, including cinema, music, arts, and sports. Among the notable figures who took the stage was Raï, the former Paris Saint-Germain legend, who delivered an impassioned speech.
Raï's Powerful Speech
Raï, who fell in love with France during his tenure at Paris Saint-Germain (1993-1998) and still resides in the country, spoke fervently against the far right and the National Rally. Drawing from his experiences during Jair Bolsonaro's presidency in Brazil, Raï emphasized, “Long live France, long live the Republic, long live democracy. You are our hope. I know the far right well, what they do best is lie. I knew them in power. The far right in power is the end of the world, the end of human rights, of humanism, of humanity. In Brazil, we lived through a nightmare: four years of misogyny, homophobia, prejudice, deforestation. The far right is hatred.”
Raï urged the crowd to resist the far right with love and passion, stating, “If we want to change our purchasing power, let's change policy but never change our fundamental values. They want hatred. Let's heal with love and passion. They want oppression. Let's resist. To arms, citizens! Here, it's France, it's Paris, it's also Africa, it's all colors. Here, it’s democracy and the Republic.”
The former Brazilian international continued his speech for almost three minutes, rallying the crowd with his call to action. “Where they want hate, let’s win with passion and love. Where they want repression, let's resist with freedom. Where they want censorship, lies, ignorance, let's attack with science, mobilization, the arts, music, theater, dance... To arms citizens! Here is France, here is Paris, here is Africa, here is all the colors, here is democracy. Go vote my French friends, go convince your friends, your family to vote, for France, humanity, the planet, the human race. We are counting on you, the fight continues.”
- The rally in Paris was a significant demonstration against the far right, highlighting the unity and resolve of the French people to uphold democratic values. Personalities like Juliette Armanet, Josiane Balasko, Judith Godrèche, and Anne Roumanoff also lent their voices to the cause, emphasizing the importance of resistance and the preservation of fundamental values.
- Raï's speech was particularly impactful, drawing on his personal experiences in Brazil to warn against the dangers of far-right ideologies. His call to action resonated with the crowd, encouraging them to vote and to convince others to do the same in order to protect democracy and human rights.
