May Picqueray

May Picqueray, whose real name is Marie-Jeanne Picqueray, is a French anarchist, anarcho-syndicalist, pacifist and antimilitarist activist of the 20th century. Born July 8, 1898 in Savenay, a singular figure in the libertarian movement, she lived through most of the major political and social struggles of her time. May Picqueray grew up in a modest environment, she spent her childhood between Châteaubriant and Saint-Nazaire, marked by a harsh education and a strong sensitivity to social injustice. At a very young age, she worked and emancipated herself, getting closer to the working and revolutionary circles who would forge her future commitment. Attracted by the social revolution, she campaigned in the 1920s within anarchist and trade unionist circles, particularly in the metals union. In 1922, she went to Moscow as a union delegate and openly denounced the privileges of the Bolshevik leaders in the face of the misery of the people, which confirmed her distrust of authoritarian communism.