FREE PARTY IS FREE AGAIN, at least in France!
As I described in the last post before I went, it already seemed like we had the sun on our side.
When I arrived there, it was truly like people described me by phone, a wicked mood of solidarity, unity and strength and as well power, because we had just fooled the state, when usually this is the converse.
When we arrived later and passed through the little village by foot, we met a lot of locals that were all outside their houses to speak about this weird thing that is happening in “our little village”.
They were absolutely friendly, we explained them the situation and they were even happier:
What, you are against Sarkozy? Gooood people!”
Shouting on the police with the helicopters and “le flics sont malade”, ” you poor people et chased by them like dogs, wait, we will have word on our local newspaper about this “, really nice smiley some of them I met later at the party, dressed like ravers, the girl obviously just put some layers of clothes and voila…
The site we squatted was an old airfield, now used for windmills and owned by the village.
after we entered the mayor of the town came to speak to us and was like :” oh no, this will cost so much money, we did all new on the one side blabla… but, if you agree to stay only on one side of the airfield, then you can stay till Tuesday, no problem !” he was a really nice person with a 20 year old son who likes raving as well… doesn’t take the thing so serious, more like “what young people do, aaahhwww, I wished to be young again”
Also the same filed has been squatted by 30 000 gypsies always again. the mayor so was happy that we ain´t gypsies and not so many and as well he was impressed cause it was always clean on the floor. “you are well organized you people, respect!”
The cops were at each exit and didn’t allow more cars or vans to enter, the only contact to the world outside could do Tekno+, a French drug prevention association who did a crazy job this weekend!
Tekno+ use to be at each teknival to provide prevention and drug tests, chilling tent and food for the people. Usually there is also the Red Cross and medicine de monde. This time they had to do the job all by themselves and it worked wonderful. No bad things happened, not much ambulance need to come all the weekend. Autonomy can work!
There was anarchy and freedom in the air as I only felt it that intense long long long time ago !
There were not so many sound system and maybe at the top 5000 ravers, but those ravers were awesome, more a collective of people who didn’t give up to believe that it is possible to achieve this and more, that it is possible with that to show that we don’t need the state organized teknival, if it is only the people who care about the difference between the both of them.
Everyone was smiling and whenever I looked a person I got a glance back that said: “we fucking did it, thanks that you are here!”
Only to have lived this mood for a while was worth it!
Saturday was a day everyone just made party and speaking about if we would get seized or not and speaking about the following months and how it will develop.
All peaceful and friendly, no muggers, no dealer and therefore really few problems for drugs.
(I searched ages for some speed and end up paying at 10 in the morning in advance to a girl that promised me to give it to me in the evening, she hadn’t it with her. and she came back).
Food was alright, the sounds were doing some efforts and we had crepes, fries, and crepes and mergueze sausages. No food stands of course. All DIY…
At Sunday then the first sound system wanted to go in the evening about 8 a clock. The exit was about 1,5 km away and 10 minutes later we received a call: we are getting seized!
Immediately every sound shut down the music and ALL people went to the exit, armed with sticks and everything what they could find. Everyone went, apart some few who were building up blockades. The police have seen 3000 ravers moving towards the police from the helicopter and directly cancelled the seizing. The sound could go without even a drug test.
Then we went into negotiation because no one really wanted to do this for each sound that wanted to leave and result was: all sounds can go out free, with no problem till Monday evening 18.00 (which is now btw)
Our part of the deal was to not do riot in Paris the first of may, cause this is what we menaced them we would do if the seize only one sound or take only one driver license. As the cops just saw the solidarity the ravers just shown up with that massive amount of people ready to fight, they agreed to this deal and everyone is happy.
When I left this late midday, we haven’t even been drug searched or controlled.
So as résumé: we were right with the guess that sarkozy didn’t want this to clash!
BUT for him we have a little surprise, because we invited the press and they reported about the true background of the history. Nice ones!
Now the party is over and it was weird to get back in reality!
That we had to go today wasn’t a real problem for anyone, as most of the people want to be in Paris tomorrow and we also ran out of almost everything…
The music was mixed up, dominated by classical French sound, but as well a drum n bass and a psytrance (!) sound system. Respect to those who risked their entire systems because no one only took a kamikaze system!
I am still too excited to write better than this, sorry…
For all those who have been with us in Strasbourg, it was a total revival, the really same spirit between the people!
This weekend changed my attitude towards French ravers, at least to those who can still believe and were there, hell, they are great one smiley
What will happen after is that the French scene will officially split up; the part that has been at this tek gave birth to a new/old generation! A thing that had to happen and at the end it is all good.
Whoever want can go on with pathetic negotiations that lead to no where but to be controlled and have their monster event (well monster, this year 20 000 people and 20 sounds as I was informed). They also can call it like this year fuck the state – no one really cares because now people realized what it really is about!
It was a historic weekend, regarding the impact it will have in the press, in the scene and in the hearts of people who got back home with a lot of hope and happiness!
