| Pieds plats | |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1880s-1890s |
| Active regions | France |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left |
| Notable attacks | Lobau bombing Véry bombing |
| Status | Defunct |
| Means of revenue | Theft |
Preceded by Intransigents of London and Paris | |
ThePieds plats (English:Flat feet) were anindividualist andillegalistanarchist group founded in the 1880s in Paris. Bringing together workers from theÎle-de-France region in thecarpentry trade, some of its members participated in theÈre des attentats (1892–1894), such asThéodule Meunier,Jean-Pierre François, andFernand Bricout, who carried out theVéry bombing or theLobau bombing in the first half of 1892. Through their extensive use ofpropaganda by the deed during this period, they positioned themselves as counter-powers to the authority of prominent anarchist figures likeCharles Malato,Errico Malatesta, orPeter Kropotkin, whom the Pieds plats and broader individualist anarchists openly opposed.
The group also gained influence through its combination ofdirect action, illegalism, and propaganda by the deed. Its members are thus credited with pioneering and theorizing 'déménagements à la cloche de bois' (‘silent move-outs’)—the practice of leaving a residence without notifying the landlord or paying rent. This became one of the ideological foundations for the later practice ofsquatting.
The Pieds plats were founded in the 1880s among carpentry workers in Paris.[1][2] The group emerged from anarchist circles organized by theanarcho-syndicalist wine merchant Paul Rousseau at his home, located at 131 rue Saint-Martin.[3][4]Le Maitron lists as members, among others,companionsThéodule Meunier,Jean-Pierre François,Fernand Bricout, Bruneau, Sentenac,Cler, and Soulage.[5] Ferter was also linked to the group and participated in fundraising efforts for its activities.[6]
According to their opponentJean Grave, their name originated from the popular expression ‘Je ne marche pas, j’ai les pieds plats’ (‘I won’t budge/walk; I have flat feet’).[2] Grave described them as primarily engaging in illegalist tactics, such asindividual reclamation, notably targeting Parisian wine merchants—either by accumulating debts before disappearing or simply stealing dishes, linens, and drinks from those merchants or restaurant owners.[2] Later, during theEra of Attacks (1892–1894), members like Meunier, François, and Bricout participated in theVéry bombing, one of the first major attacks of the period, which followed the arrest ofRavachol.[7]
Their ideology, blendingillegalism,direct action, andpropaganda by the deed, played a key role in developing the concept of 'déménagements à la cloche de bois' (‘silent move-outs’)—leaving a residence without notifying the landlord or paying rent.[8] This practice became an early precursor tosquatting.[8]
The Pieds plats also engaged in fierce polemics against prominent anarchist figures likeCharles Malato,Errico Malatesta, andPeter Kropotkin, whom they derided as ‘[anarchomoralists, cowardly anarchists, personalities, petty popes, doctrinaires, or prelates]’. Conversely, these threeanarcho-communist viewed the Pieds plats and individualist anarchists with suspicion, arguing that their circles were infiltrated by police and that their use of violence and propaganda by the deed undermined the broader anarchist cause.[9]
