“In 1998 we rioted. In fact, it didn’t take care of anything. It’s the cops who want riots; they are prepared for them. They know how to react. Our errors are also our gains.”

Bouge qui Bouge (Move who Moves) is an association created by a group of youth of Arab origin (children of immigrants) in the “cité” (housing projects) of Bas-Moulin in Dammarie-les-Lys in order to resist against police violence and to encourage autonomous organization and action among the residents. The young men who founded the association each have a history that exemplifies the struggles of the youth in these disadvantaged neighborhoods: problems in school, expulsions, run-ins with the police, etc. This is why the volunteers at Bouge qui Bouge want to take hold of the situation in their “cité” and restore confidence and solidarity among the residents. The main activities of Bouge qui Bouge consist of organizing demonstrations against police violence, but also more long-term activities such as help to school children, reading, music and dance workshops, and neighborhood parties.

Bouge qui Bouge was created in 1998 after 16 year-old Abdelkader Bouziane was killed by a police officer in the neighborhood. At that time, the group came together to react to this unjust crime. As has been the case in many other disadvantaged neighborhoods like this one, the youth responded to the police violence with a riot, which showed no positive results. Since then, Bouge qui Bouge has concentrated on supporting dialog between people and organizing activities amongst neighborhood residents and the youth in order to dissuade this kind of impulsive action.

In a declaration dated June 27, 2002, Bouge qui Bouge says: “We have understood that reacting with violence is strictly useless. In consequence, we are convinced that the political construction of just and real words is the republican way for us to gain respect and to be heard by our democracy that we have a high regard for and of which we are all, equally, defenders and promoters, since we are all citizens.” They wrote this declaration as a direct response to the expulsion of the association from the neighborhood and their eviction from their headquarters by the mayor. This incident happened in the summer of 2002 when the police killed two youth from the neighborhood and a few of the Bouge qui Bouge members were arrested for “insulting a police officer”. From then on, the police and the mayor would call Bouge qui Bouge the “Terrorists of the Neighborhood”.

In resistance to the murders and arrests and to their expulsion, the association set up a tent in the middle of the housing tenements with the help of other organizations like the Green Party, LDH (Human Rights League), the MRAP (Movement against racism and for friendship amongst people), and the SAF (French Lawyers Union); this in order to say, “We’re still here!” They organized together a solidarity party, which was quickly forbidden by the mayor’s office. Despite their objections, the party took place smoothly with a large participation on the part of the residents.

The different institutions and offices threaten Bouge qui Bouge, but its popularity and its effectiveness have helped it resist until now. After an appeal to the “political decision” to close all doors to their association, Bouge qui Bouge won back its headquarters, but right after that a mysterious fire burned it down. They filed charges against a symbolic party, “X”, and are committed to keep the project running and to move it elsewhere.

“That’s not what is going to stop us…Now we will move to another ground, a political ground…Everything that the mayor is supposed to take care of, we will also take care of…Judicial advice, help with homework, help with housing and food for those who are the worst off…We, too, are capable of doing that. Our goal is to defend our little brothers. We take our destiny into our own hands. And that’s what they’re scared of.”

In its activities with the neighborhood youth and in its public expression, Bouge qui Bouge asks a few basic questions to the general public and to politicians:

- Why must they use defamation techniques to criminalize us to the eyes of the public? Why attribute “crimes” to our association, Bouge qui Bouge, without any proof?

- What is the meaning of the “insecurity” alibi that allows them to repress and destabilize citizens and militants?
(Declaration, June 27,2002)

Bouge qui Bouge is under heavy surveillance, especially since the conservative party won the legislative elections. They are called terrorists for simply wanting to defend the rights of those who are attacked by the institutions because of their immigrant origins, the color of their skin, and their economic status. They have done a “Call for Aid” asking people to give them material help in order to reconstruct their association.