David Sauveur has written an exclusive text for La Lettre de la Photographie:
“Once upon a time there was a revolution… It is the story of a people delving into war, the moment they chose to take arms against their tyrant to defend their freedom. Workers, students, university professors, engineers, fathers, taxi drivers: people like you and me who have chosen to go beyond the point of no return and become an army themselves.
“Now it’s him or us! We know that Gaddafi will be merciless if we lose the battle…”
The protesters in Libya realize that they don’t have any other option but courage when faced with the violence of a bloody dictatorship that is ready to shoot at people, and who is already guilty for the death of thousands of civilians. An army of volunteers learns about war in the desert in the middle of nowhere, all along a route that runs alongside the sea, with the oil refineries…
Heavy machineguns are loaded onto the backs of pick-up trucks, anti-air craft batteries must be learnt to be operated as well as using RPG’s (Rocket Propelled Grenade) with the dangerous clumsiness of a debutant…. Courage and disorder are the beginnings of a revolution that must learn to use arms.
As a photojournalist used to the chaos of history, I made the choice to illustrate the image of the men that must learn to live in a war by necessity, touched by the will of a people who came together to fight against terror, the faith and the courage of those who chose freedom.
Today France has chosen its side. Here are some images of those we are defending. It is a question of honor, if we really are the democrats we proclaim to be, ready to defend human rights, freedom, equality, fraternity. I wish the Libyan rebels, and also the soldiers fighting for freedom, all of the courage and luck to finish once and for all with the dictatorship, even if the fate of men might have to be written in blood.”
David Sauveur/VU Agency
