Remembering Clément Meric.

Last June, I did a little commemoration for Clément Meric, an anti-racist campaigner who was murdered by racist thugs in Paris. You can see my posting about him here;

 Clément Meric

When I was in Belleville it was good to see that Clément is not forgotten;

 

These posters are a common sight around the streets.

Meanwhile up in Belleville, artists have reclaimed some of the empty shopfronts and have used the boxes that used to hold the shop blinds as a place to make artworks, like memory boxes;

 

Here there is a photo of Édith Piaf as well as ‘Touche pas a mon pote’ (Don’t touch my Friend), which was the title of a Working Week song and the slogan of a massive antiracist campaign in France in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s.

Like I said, good ghosts.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Clement Meric.

Touche Pas A Mon Pote, Working Week 1986.

 

Clement Meric an 18 year old student and leukaemia survivor was murdered in Paris this week. He’d attended a sale of ‘Fred Perry’, casual wear – the kind of thing I’m sometimes seen in although a lot of mine came second hand! It’s a MOD thing.

Also attending the sale were a bunch of neo-nazi knuckle heads who then attacked Clement for objecting to their racism. He died on Thursday.

Thousands have rallied to protest and we should join them in a virtual rally.

Back in 1986, ‘Working Week’ a London Jazz-soul collective wrote ‘Touche Pas A Mon Pote’, for a massive anti-racist/anti-fascist campaign in Paris and the Pas De Calais/Nord region, ending in a mass rally and concert.

It says ‘Don’t touch my friend’ and became the theme of the campaign. Today it seems the right song to sing.

 

 

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

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