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

2.2.2.1.3 Legitimacy by the number

The new form of associative participation described previously caused a revival of the repertory of collective action of the organizations. Jacques Ion observes that the number (individuals) is not any more only refer of the group. Thus, legitimacy is not acquired any more, only, starting from the number of members^490(*). The militant separates and confers on the organization, by his specificity, a new legitimacy. The modes of collective protest are affected. While the preceding repertories of collective action privileged them « demonstrations of force », the new fashions of protest attach less importance to the number and the report/ratio of force is symbolized via the media^491(*).

The mobilizations within Attac grant a broad place to dimension symbolic system. However, the authority of legitimation of the claims appears being before all the number. According to inquired the taking into account of the claims of association must be carried out, above all, by the number. The importance which is attached to the progression of adhesions within Attac was highlighted besides. The repertory of collective action is of course related to this representation of legitimacy. For example, the principal action taken by Attac in favor of the Tobin tax was the launching of a petition. That Ci mobilized the association from December 1998 to October 1999, date on which an Attac delegation given this petition (of 110.000 signatures) to Laurent Fabius, then president of the French National Assembly^492(*). A European petition had been launched also in April 1999 in preparation for the European elections of the 13/06/1999^493(*).

On the other hand, one can object that association has for the moment never organized of demonstrations « of mass ». The first national demonstration Attac will take place in January 2001. François recognizes, moreover, that it hopes that nearly 50.000 demonstrators will be present. This demonstration is thus connected well with a mobilization of mass^494(*). It is supposed that the absence, until now, such demonstrations translates the attachment with the number rather than it contradicts it. Indeed, it is above all because association was not able to be able to gather manpower necessary, that no mobilization of mass had been organized until today. This assumption is confirmed by the situation of the local committee. No demonstration specific to Attac has for the moment take place on Grenoble. Inquired explain that a mobilization is not possible for the moment because it would not gather sufficient militants to be representative and credible. Inquired thus seem to found legitimacy starting from the number.

The repertory of collective action of association expresses certain contradictions. The place granted to the actions symbolic system testifies to the taking into account of the associative revival. On the other hand, the place granted to user-friendliness and the affiliation of legitimacy to the number translate the weight of the traditional modes of actions. Attac would be located at the meeting held on the nine and old. This ambiguity can be solved only by the search for a mode of protest which is specific to association.

Thomas : November 24 it is the date of the large manif main road in Paris. One will try to bring back the maximum of people and me I would like well that one is around 50 000 people and it is possible. It is manif of Attac on the broad topics as the Tobin tax and the cancellation of the debt of the Third World, pollution. It is first manif Attac, of course it y will have much others which will join it, all the founder members will bring back bus but it is Attac which organizes.

F.E : Is what you already did on Grenoble a demonstration or an action specifically on the Tobin tax?

Julie: [...] Only one demonstration on the Tobin tax not ! Because for the moment that did not seem to us sufficiently federator so that one is sufficiently numerous. One is 800 members but that does not want to say that one will be 800 people to be expressed. It is necessary nevertheless that it have a minimum of people there so that it is credible and so that it is visible.

* ⁴⁹⁰ «  If this legitimacy by the number would not be suddenly to disappear, it is not any more alpha and the omega  » summarizing by a figure the power of the grouping [...] It should be been appropriate that a transformation is in progress through which the idea of mass like expression of the power, characteristic of the of the same groupings name, does not have more the obviousness which it could have  ». Ion (Jacques), op.cit, p. 73.

* ⁴⁹¹ Ibid, pp. 74-75.

* ⁴⁹²Attac France, All surAttac, op.cit, p. 12.

* ⁴⁹³ Ibid, p. 13.

* ⁴⁹⁴ The national direction also plans to rent the room of the pale of the congresses. This type of gathering of great width consolidates our assumption.