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Aux arts mes citoyen-ne-s! That play on the chorus line in France’s national anthem, “To arms, citizens!”, was on the banner hanging over a general assembly of the artists and theatre workers of Marseilles, who have been occupying two of the city’s main theatres since mid-March. On 25 March, more than 80 theatres and cultural centres around France were being occupied in a movement kicked off at the start of the month in Odeon Theatre in the heart of Paris by members of the left-wing trade union confederation, the CGT.
In a handful of cases, the authorities have intervened to end the occupations. As they have done so, other theatres have joined the movement.