UN RENOUVEAU DE LA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATIVE ? L'engagement et le militantisme au sein du comité Attac Isère

2.2.2 Forms of the mobilizations

The forms of the collective mobilizations are not invariant. Charles Tilly endeavoured to account for the evolutions of the forms of the collective protest. He tried to make a history of it^482(*). Its demonstration rests on the assumption that the individuals rather do not use indifferently a form of collective action than another but choose within « repertories » existing, which vary according to the times and places', population concerned, the advantages which the practice presents, but also according to the attitude adopted by the authorities and the organizations aimed with respect to the devoted forms of the collective action^483(*). Each movement of protest is confronted, according to him, with a repertory of precise actions already tested before by other social actors. Tilly privileges, in his analyzes socio-histories, a dynamic prospect in which the repertories of actions are renewed. These evolutions take place according to three processes : the innovation or the adoption of new forms of action, the adaptation to forms of action already available, the abandonment of the forms of actions which appear not very suitable, ineffective or dangerous^485(*).

The repertory of action of Attac results from the conjunction between already existing, old modes of protest as the strike or resulting from the associative movements protesters such as the symbolic system use of the media, and a whole of values and waitings which characterize the militants. The repertory of protest used by association thus constitutes an indicator of the values which characterize the engagement of the militants.

Among the modes of action to which recourse the militants have, it is possible to distinguish three characteristics : the recourse to the actions symbolic systems, importance of user-friendliness and legitimacy by the number.

2.2.2.1 The revival of the repertory of collective actions

2.2.2.1.1 The preeminence of the symbolic system

The symbolic system occupies a very great place within the actions which are carried out by association at the national level. For example, at the time of the manifestation of December 6 2000 which had had mile in Nice for the top of the European Union, the leaders of Attac had organized an action « bathe » which profited from very strong media repercussions^486(*). The following day, militants of Attac « keep the high-speed motorboat » while going to the border Monegasque where they set up one « wall of the money » with paperboards struck with the European currencies. There still the media presence is considerable^487(*). The day of action against the tax havens of June 9, 2001 was also the occasion to resort to actions symbolic systems. The militants of Attac announced by way of press them « unloading » on the island of Jersey to protest their dissatisfaction. The local police force was put on the foot of war and of the officers specialized in the anti-riot techniques of Gaslgow were called in reinforcement. However, like a journalist of the World specifies it, « this atmosphere of taken care of weapons tallies badly with the program : picnic, distribution of leaflets by group of six (requested not to leave « no relief on the spot »), maintenance granted to a delegation of Attac »^488(*). The mode of mobilization of association appears deeply marked by the evolutions that knew the repertory of collective action since the end of the Sixties and who developed during the Nineties.

However, the mobilizations of the militants of the committee isérois do not concern the same repertory of collective actions. The forms of protest remain anchored in a repertory less renewed and more traditional. For example, the day of action against the tax havens which had taken a form « original » at the national level resulted in a simple distribution of leaflets and posting in front of the banks of the downtown area of Grenoble. At the time of the congress of the socialist Party (24, 25, November 26), the militants isérois had organized « the reception » of the congressmen at the station by « men sandwiches » distributing leaflets. Diffusions had also been carried out in front of the palate of the congresses of Grenoble (Alpexpo). The actions carried out by the committee isérois are carried out on a form very distinct from that which is adopted by the national direction of Attac. It east can be what explains, inter alia, the weak mediatization of the local committee while national association profits from a broad media cover. How to give an account of this important difference between the local repertory of action and the national repertory of action ?

* ⁴⁸² Charles Tilly A highlighted that gradually the local mobilizations founded on Community solidarity (1650-1850) yielded the place to national and autonomous mobilizations (1850-1980). Erik Neveu supposes that the advent of the international mobilizations appeared during the Nineties with the movements anti-universalization could constitute one 3rd generation of repertory of action. Cf, Tilly (Charles), France disputes. From 1600 to our days, Paris, Beech, 1986, pp. 544-545. Cf, Nephew (Erik), op.cit, p. 60.

* ⁴⁸³⁴⁸⁴ Concept of «  repertory of collective action  » establishes «  the assumption of a choice deliberated at those which assert, between modes of action well defined, the possibilities of choice and the choices themselves changing primarily according to the preceding chois. In one average meaning, the idea of repertory presents a model where the accumulated experience actors intersects with the strategies D (authority, while returning a whole of means of action more practical, gravitational, and more frequent than much of other means which could, in theory, of serving the same interests  ». Tilly (Charles), «  Origins of the contemporary collective action in France and Great Britain  », Xxe century, Review of History, n°4, 1984, p. 99

* ⁴⁸⁵ Cf, op.cit, Lafargue (Jerome), pp. 35-36.

* ⁴⁸⁶ «  It is the moment that a few tens of militants of Attac choose to spring in bathing suits of the Walk of the English on the Beaurivage beach. «  We are not afraid to wet us to defend the social rights  !  » protest these revolted while throwing itself in fresh water, red flags and signs of Attac to the hand. A true cloud of teleobjectives and cameras are opportunely on the beach for immortaliser the scene. Never considering, except when the largest stars assemble the steps of the Palate of the festivals, in Cannes  ». FK, Express train, art.cit, p. 94.

* ⁴⁸⁷ Ibid, p. 95.

* ⁴⁸⁸ Weil (Nicolas), «Attac unloads in Jersey to denounce the tax havens  », the World, 9/06/2001.