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French students, unions protest change in employment law
by Dirk Völlger (via Abie)
Monday, Mar. 20, 2006 at 4:43 PM
Dominique de Villepin, the prime minister of France has introduced a law which abolishes dismissal protection for all workers under the age of 26. The fear that this will lead to totally abolishing social welfare and dismissal protection has made french students more than angry.
audio: 
ogg vorbis at 3.9 mebibytes
Dominique de Villepin, the prime minister (ex- foreign minister and strong opponent of IRAQ-War) introduced a law, which actually abolishes any dismissal protection for young people under 26. This law is called "CPE - Contract Premiere Embauche" and is valid for all enterprises, large sized enterprises included.
There is already a law allowing those liberal rules for small and medium sized enterprises, its called CNE - Contract Nouveau Embauche. This law was criticized but eventually accepted by people. The interesting things with the new CPE law is that Villepin did neither consult other ministers nor social leaders (syndicates, students etc.)
There was not even a parliament debate about that law, even if conservatives (which de Villepin belongs to) are in majority.
Those facts and the fear of totally abolishing social welfare and dismissal protection made French students more than angry. Since 7. February they have gathered regularly, occupied universities, and held strikes and demonstrations. During the last week, 3 days of action took place, and the most important ones on Thursday drew around 500.000 people demonstrating all over France (only students mobilized) and on Saturday with 1.500.000 demonstrating, with around 300.000 in Paris. There are also syndicates mobilizing and they are considering a general strike if this law is not
retired.
Demonstration 1
by Dirk Völlger (via Abie)
Monday, Mar. 20, 2006 at 4:43 PM
I was in Paris 10.03. and took part in a demonstration which happened suddenly. The Sorbonne University in Paris was occupied by students sine 7. March, I think. To avoid further gathering and organization of students, the universities administration, decided to close the university completely with the help of riot cops, called CRS (Compagnies républicaines de sécurité).
Students were not allowed to prepare their exams, which should have took place this week. On the evening of 9. March, students were attacked violently by police, which resulted in very negative press and made them change their strategy the days later.
Demonstration 2
by Dirk Völlger (via Abie)
Monday, Mar. 20, 2006 at 4:43 PM
On Friday, 10. March, I was in front of Sorbonne, were a spontaneous demonstration with around 200 students started. The Boulevard St. Michel was occupied and soon there were 800-1000 people. After around 2 hours of squatting and reclaiming the street (peacefully) there were 2000-2500 people present. They started walking in the direction of the Sorbonne to demand to enter the university. When the police realized that the demonstration was moving towards the university, the CRS attacked from behind.
CRS (French Riot Cops)
by Dirk Völlger (via Abie)
Monday, Mar. 20, 2006 at 4:43 PM
Until that moment the demonstration was peaceful. The average age of the people present was 20-23, with many woman in the demonstration, which shows the cruel way of CRS. But students were determined, and with barricades they blocked buses of CRS to arrive, they pushed back around 50 police men and they freed the street in front of university. When trying to enter a small street leading to the main entrance, CRS started beating and using gas so people went behind the university, were occupying people appeared at windows. Food and drinks were given in, so that they can eat and drink something, as they had nothing. Then people opened a window and 200 supporters went in. At that point, CRS stayed calm, as there was too many representatives from the press.
But during the night, when the press had departed, the police changed of their tactics, and attacked and kicked out the squatters.
Food and water for sit-in squatters
by Dirk Völlger (via Abie)
Monday, Mar. 20, 2006 at 4:43 PM
Sorbonne as well as 21 of the other universities still are blocked by police. Around 60 universities out of 84 are active in protests. However, the so called "Grandes Ecoles" do not take part in protests. They belong to the elite and the law is not valid for them. In France, you have to be absolvent of those Grande Ecoles, in order to get well payed, good jobs.
In industry, university absolvents are regarded as less well, and they do not get the same salary and they do not get the same jobs as absolvents of "Grandes Ecoles" which shows the unfairness of this "2-class"-system.
A very interesting fact for me was to see how people on street supported the demonstrating students. Polls showed, that 68% of French people are against that law. Its the first time that syndicates like CGT, FO etc. were demonstrating together for a very long time, because they also have disputes among each other.
Sorbonne University was not squatted since 1968, which shows the symbolic value of their occupying action. Anyway, I would not say that the situation in France is revolutionary right now, its tensed and it shows existing social conflicts.
Barricades 1
by Dirk Völlger (via Abie)
Monday, Mar. 20, 2006 at 4:43 PM
The riots of last year are based on those social conflicts as well as racist policy which is also in France quite racist. I did not support the autumn riots last year, as those people damaged shop, stores, factories, kindergartens, and buses of people who already are disadvantaged. But thats another theme.
Barricades 2
by Dirk Völlger (via Abie)
Monday, Mar. 20, 2006 at 4:43 PM
OK, hope that I gave you some more information and some more ideas about whats going on in France. Its very important and the more press there will be abroad, the more troubles de Villepin and Sarkozy (minister of interior) and Chiraque (the president) will get.
Demonstration 3
by Dirk Völlger (via Abie)
Monday, Mar. 20, 2006 at 4:43 PM
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Dirk Völlger is a student of mechanical engineering in Darmstadt/Germany and has spent more than three
years in France: 2,5 years as an exchange student in Lyon at Ecole Centrale de Lyon (one of those elite schools) and 1 year in Aix en Provence while working and learning French. He is active in the German student movement as well as in
antiracist/antifascist movement, and is the administrator of the Ecotopia Biketour Homepage http://www.thebiketour.net and also a portal about education policy in Germany http://www.uebergebuehr.de
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