"We're disciplined," boasts young, demagogic Pierre Poujade. "If I tell these people to take one step forward, they'll take one step forward; one step backward, and they'll take one step backward." For 19 months Poujade has been telling French tradesmen and artisans who are his followers to defy tax collectors and run them out of town (TIME, Jan. 3). Last week he told them to follow him to Paris for a demonstration of strength.
As tax officials watched in horrified fascination, they camefrom Paris suburbs and distant citiesdefying floods, government obstruction and police discouragement. Three of Paris' largest auditoriums...