Voltuan, full-time French activist behind famous protest slogan

His pseudonym “Volttuan” was inspired by the romantic writers Nerval and Novalis, but when he met Lede in a Paris cafe ahead of the Jan. 31 demonstrations against pension reform, he said “High Voltage.” Words come to mind.

Even in non-native English, the retired elementary school teacher speaks ten to ten as if every second counts in telling the media about the “cause.”

“This is my life: social justice, ecological rights, protection of the planet, human and animal rights, feminist rights, human rights, nature and peace.”

“And true democracy,” he adds.

He’s been an active participant in the protest movement since 1995, but admits it was the peculiar placards that brought him to the public’s attention.

The board is huge, 1m40 x 1m, with the slogan written in the same bold big capital letters.

“The main colors are black, red, blue and green.

“Large type is an advantage for demonstrations, as messages can be seen from a distance.”

At 1m92 tall, Reddé cannot be overlooked. Hi-Vis wears her yellow vest and red and black striped beanie.

He always holds the sign above his head with his arms outstretched into a “V” sign.

“It’s like screaming, screaming,” he says of the “V” position. “Cry for a better world”

listen to the conversation With Voltuan in the French podcast spotlight

people’s anger

The sign that launched him, “Ecoutez la colère du peuple” (Listen to the anger of the people), remained in place until October 2010, when he staged the first demonstration against pension reform under then-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Dating back.

Reuters and other news outlets filmed him in front of the Senate. His face was smoky and red as he was partially obscured by the CGT trade union flag, but the message stood out.

National and international media outlets, including Newsweek magazine, published the photos.

It has since been used to illustrate a chapter on social protest in a French high school history textbook.

rebellious since childhood

Reddé’s activities go back quite a while.

“I was rebellious as a child because my family wasn’t happy, neither happy nor harmonious,” he says.

Most of all, there was no love.

“I first had a love for nature and animals. That was my first family,” he says. He then built a “second family” within the protest movement itself.

When anti-austerity Inignado The movement emerged in Spain in 2011, with Lede taking early retirement and becoming an international activist marching in Madrid, London, Brussels and Athens. occupation protest.

“I couldn’t go to work and see the world getting so much worse everywhere with wars and protests and people regaining their dignity and better wages. It’s intolerable. bottom.

“I have visited several European countries to show solidarity within the framework of convergence of the struggle. That is the key to everything.”

Full-time activity doesn’t pay off, but Lede has learned to distribute modest pensions.

“I have no children, no TV, no car, and nothing of my own.” His pension will go towards demonstrating and publishing his poetry.

Fellow activists often welcome him when he travels to Paris and other capitals for demonstrations.

“The great thing about mobilization is that you always meet good people,” he claims.

come into the limelight

But not everyone appreciates Reddé’s visibility and ability to appear in every frame.

2015, left-leaning daily Libération wrote a critical article It was headed “Placard Hiding Demo”. Journalists accused Lede of “monopolizing speeches and images and systematically drawing attention to himself, even if it means defending old causes.”

Rede claims that only “very few” react negatively to his presence.

“Most people come in with a smile and say, ‘Oh, go on, I love your autograph. It’s great that you’re here all the time.'”

Following the Liberation article, feminist group Les Efronte told the paper, “I’ve seen him in feminist demonstrations all the time.

when you love you don’t count

most of the time Recent anti-pension reform protests In Paris, Lede put up a placard that said, “Listen to the wrath of the people.”

The old slogan still works, but it wasn’t the original sign.

When I ask him roughly how many marches he’s done, he scoffs at the question.

“Time to fight is the same as time to love, don’t count, go!”

The word “love” is used in his speech. In his hour-long chat with us, he uses the word as many as his 21 times.

“Most humans believe in love between two people, but I would say that love should extend to the entire universe.

protest beyond the grave

Later, at a pension reform protest, Lede laughs out loud as people chatter and snap pictures of his latest placards blaming millions of dollars hidden in tax havens.

I noticed that he was constantly changing hand positions, as if trying to find a way to comfortably hold the sign.

I wonder if he suffers from tendinitis and can keep holding it on his head for hours.

He joked that death wouldn’t stop him from protesting.

“When I lie on the ground, I am made false bottom. [in the coffin] Run away and join demonstrations day and night.

“As long as one creature is confused, we cannot give up the fight.”