The Paris Commune of 1871 - The Original Government of the 99%

The Paris Commune of 1871 - The Original Government of the 99%

Come hear a presentation on the Paris Commune, by Anne Hansen, French postal worker and union militant. With the slogan, "We are the 99%", the Occupy movement asked - "What gives the top 1% the right to run everything in their interest? Why should the rest of us, the 99%, have to suffer the consequences of their decisions"? All over the U.S., thousands of people participated in demonstrations, meetings and occupations of public space. And in the process, people could begin to imagine a different world where the 99% decided our own fate. In 1871, the people of Paris engaged in their own version of "occupy" - the Paris Commune. But they didn't just protest. They created a new form of government - from the bottom up, where the 99% decided and acted in the interest of the majority. We can learn from these lessons of the past to create a new future. Anne will also talk about the current situation in France.

Sponsored by the Berkeley City College Global Studies Program and Speak Out Now!