November 11, 1943 parade in Oyonnax
"Le François" war memorial, at the foot of which the wreath was laid. (originally located in Parc René-Nicod, it has since been moved to the Oyonnax cemetery). | |
| Date | November 1943 |
|---|---|
| Location | France, Oyonnax |
| Participants | Maquis de l'Ain et du Haut-Jura |
The November 11, 1943 parade in Oyonnax is one of the most emblematic actions in the history of the Ain and Haut-Jura maquis and the French Resistance. During the Second World War, when the government of Marshal Philippe Pétain banned all ceremonies commemorating the 1918 armistice, the maquis leaders decided to ignore the ban and organize a parade through the streets of Oyonnax, in the occupied zone. The maquis suffered reprisals, and the town's mayor and one of his deputies were subsequently shot. The event was quickly publicized, notably on December 31, 1943, in a forged issue of Le Nouvelliste. The Anglo-Saxon press relayed the information, while Emmanuel d'Astier de La Vigerie himself informed Winston Churchill. It was this parade that convinced him of the need to arm the French Resistance.
After the war, Oyonnax was awarded the Resistance medal, which appears under its coat of arms.