A big red flag waving on top of the Hôtel-de-Ville

La Commune de Paris. Tuesday, March 28, 1871. The Commune de Paris is proclaimed today. The Central Committee hands over power to the elected representatives. The ceremony takes place on the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, in an atmosphere of great celebration involving some 200,000 citizens. Those who can no longer enter the full square crowd into the rue de Rivoli or boulevard Sébastopol. Paris has officially embarked on its heroic attempt at self-determination with democracy expressed from below. It will be almost two months of enthusiasm, democratic and social experiments, battles, until the defeat that in the last week will lead to the killing of more than 15,000 communards (the most likely estimate) taken up by the government army.

But today, March 28, 1871, Paris and its people are celebrating and the dream, the desire for work, democracy and equal dignity for all hover on the square in front of the central City Hall and in the most distant neighborhoods. A large red flag flies atop the Hôtel-de-Ville.

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