Re: France
Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:56 pm
Macron Throws Gasoline on the Fire, French Workers' Leader Says
A riot police officer points his gun towards protesters, France, March 23, 2023. | Photo: Twitter/ @CartesDuMonde
Instead of assuming the legitimacy of the protests, President Emmanuel Macron verbally lashes out at the French, comparing them to Brazilian and U.S. right-wing extremists.
On Thursday, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT) harshly criticized President Emmanuel Macron, who made statements downplaying the importance of the massive protests against his pension reform.
During an interview on Wednesday, Macron tried to discredit the French protests by comparing them to acts of vandalism perpetrated by far-right militants in Brazil and the United States.
"He threw a can of gasoline on the fire... That is a provocation," CGT Secretary Philippe Martinez said referring to the ongoing reactions in a country that is going through an "explosive situation" during the 9th day of national protest.
But "Macron doesn't care," the workers' leader said, explaining that the defamatory phrases against French citizens are part of a government strategy to magnify some incidents resulting from the outrage of the people.
"There's a lot of anger... A lot of high school and college students are out on the streets," Martinez also pointed out.
CFDT Secretary Laurent Berger also complained about the comparisons made by President Macron and stressed that his union is against any violent action against property and people.
On Thursday, however, the riot police unleashed strong altercations with the citizens. In the city of Rennes, for example, officers used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, who clashed vigorously with police.
In Lorient, angry citizens attacked government offices and a police station, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who said such acts would not go unpunished.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Mac ... -0008.html
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Call for new union and social mobilizations in France
Dozens of arrests were recorded in various cities due to riots and clashes with security forces | Photo: EFE
Published 24 March 2023
Protests were called for next weekend in rejection of the initiative adopted last Monday by the French executive.
The main unions in France called on Thursday for a new national day of protests against the retirement reform promoted by President Emmanuel Macron, after massive demonstrations violently repressed by the police, official media reported.
In a statement released by the Intersindical platform, protests were called for next weekend in rejection of the initiative adopted last Monday by the French executive to extend the retirement age from 62 to 64 and increase the contribution period.
The social and union movement, which brings together the unions mobilized against the neoliberal reform, confirmed the determination of the world of work and youth to achieve that the reform be withdrawn.
According to the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), on the ninth day of protests, 3,500,000 people participated, 800,000 of them in Paris, the capital. For its part, the Ministry of the Interior estimated the protesters nationwide at one million and those in Paris at 119,000.
Unions, left-wing parties and social organizations accused the police of excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, although the authorities denounced the violence of some protesters, linked to the so-called "black bloc", which frequently breaks into mobilizations to sow chaos. .
Dozens of arrests were registered in several cities due to riots and clashes with security forces, in an increasingly tense scenario, fueled by the Government's decision to adopt the retirement reform under article 49.3 of the Constitution, ignoring the vote of the National Assembly.
The day before, President Emmanuel Macron defended his project and suggested, without mentioning it directly, that the French should take the decision, in order to move towards other issues, among which he highlighted employment, education and ecology.
For her part, the former presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, a representative of the extreme right, a sector that does not participate in the demonstrations but rejects the measure, described the signal sent by the mobilization as very strong and affirmed that Macron governs alone, when I should do it with the people.
In this sense, the platforms of the protesters stressed that “The anger does not subside. The inappropriate and offensive attitude and comments of the President of the Republic have reinforced it. Today it has resulted in a wave of protesters demanding the withdrawal of this unfair pension reform”.
https://www.telesurtv.net/news/convocan ... -0007.html
Google Translator
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Resistance to pension reform in France intensifies
Trade unions and left groups in France have escalated protests against the unpopular pension reforms which were passed recently by the government
March 24, 2023 by Peoples Dispatch
Massive mobilizations rocked France on Thursday, March 23. Workers have given an ultimatum to French President Emmanuel Macron demanding that his government withdraw the pension reform that was passed without a vote in parliament.
According to estimates by unions, a total of around 3.5 million people hit the streets in more than 250 locations across France on Thursday.
Workers have continued work stoppages in critical areas including energy, transportation, railways, seaports, airports, industries, school, colleges and universities, municipal services including waste management, and tightened blockades of major roads, bridges and roundabouts in major cities. Sporadic clashes with security forces have been reported in several areas along with arrests of protesters.
On March 22 in an TV interview, Macron reiterated his plan to implement the pension reform by the end of the year and did not show any willingness to cede to the demands put forth by the platform of trade unions and left-wing parties to roll back the reform, or to conduct a national referendum on its implementation. The unpopular reform, announced on January 10, called to increase the retirement age in the country from 62 to 64 and made 43 years of service mandatory to avail full pensions and benefits. Heavy deployment of security forces continues in cities under the order of Macron to remove blockades.
On March 16, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invoked the emergency provision Article 49.3 of the constitution to bypass voting in the National Assembly, and passed the “law amending financing of Social Security for 2023,” instituting the controversial pension reform proposed on January 10. The move triggered spontaneous protest across the country. Protests intensified when the government survived a vote of no-confidence on March 20, tabled by opposition groups in the National Assembly. The motion failed after falling short of just nine votes.
Action by the CNRS divers from Roscoff. Photo: CGT
Trade unionists affiliated to General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and others have raised banners protesting the reform at the summit of Canigou at Pyrenees in Southern France, and CNRS divers from Roscoff mounted the CGT flag on the seabed to protest the reform.
On Thursday, Fabien Roussel MP, leader of the French Communist Party (PCF), said, “Macron is betting on violence, chaos in the country” while his “government is hanging by a thread. In a few days, we went from the debate on pensions to police violence.”
He has also called to expand the mobilization, to bring the country to a standstill and hit the economy hard. Roussell urged “the creation of a union between the left and the trade union organizations to work hand in hand.”
Trade unions and left movements from Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, and elsewhere expressed support and solidarity towards the French protests.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/03/24/ ... tensifies/
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Macron must go
March 23, 6:50 p.m
France is rising up against the tyrannical regime of Macron. The country was engulfed in riots and strikes, people smashing shops, setting fire to police stations, burning cars, blocking the work of airports, waste incinerators, LNG terminals, refineries and highways. The unions say this is just the beginning, and they are building on the overwhelming opposition to Macron's pension reform and intend to push for its repeal. The radical part of the protesters goes further and demands the resignation of the government, the resignation of Macron and new elections.
Lots of videos from the protests:
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/81198
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/81208
Macron's dictatorial regime must go. France will be a free country.
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/8245027.html
Google Translator
A riot police officer points his gun towards protesters, France, March 23, 2023. | Photo: Twitter/ @CartesDuMonde
Instead of assuming the legitimacy of the protests, President Emmanuel Macron verbally lashes out at the French, comparing them to Brazilian and U.S. right-wing extremists.
On Thursday, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT) harshly criticized President Emmanuel Macron, who made statements downplaying the importance of the massive protests against his pension reform.
During an interview on Wednesday, Macron tried to discredit the French protests by comparing them to acts of vandalism perpetrated by far-right militants in Brazil and the United States.
"He threw a can of gasoline on the fire... That is a provocation," CGT Secretary Philippe Martinez said referring to the ongoing reactions in a country that is going through an "explosive situation" during the 9th day of national protest.
But "Macron doesn't care," the workers' leader said, explaining that the defamatory phrases against French citizens are part of a government strategy to magnify some incidents resulting from the outrage of the people.
"There's a lot of anger... A lot of high school and college students are out on the streets," Martinez also pointed out.
CFDT Secretary Laurent Berger also complained about the comparisons made by President Macron and stressed that his union is against any violent action against property and people.
On Thursday, however, the riot police unleashed strong altercations with the citizens. In the city of Rennes, for example, officers used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, who clashed vigorously with police.
In Lorient, angry citizens attacked government offices and a police station, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who said such acts would not go unpunished.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Mac ... -0008.html
**************
Call for new union and social mobilizations in France
Dozens of arrests were recorded in various cities due to riots and clashes with security forces | Photo: EFE
Published 24 March 2023
Protests were called for next weekend in rejection of the initiative adopted last Monday by the French executive.
The main unions in France called on Thursday for a new national day of protests against the retirement reform promoted by President Emmanuel Macron, after massive demonstrations violently repressed by the police, official media reported.
In a statement released by the Intersindical platform, protests were called for next weekend in rejection of the initiative adopted last Monday by the French executive to extend the retirement age from 62 to 64 and increase the contribution period.
The social and union movement, which brings together the unions mobilized against the neoliberal reform, confirmed the determination of the world of work and youth to achieve that the reform be withdrawn.
According to the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), on the ninth day of protests, 3,500,000 people participated, 800,000 of them in Paris, the capital. For its part, the Ministry of the Interior estimated the protesters nationwide at one million and those in Paris at 119,000.
Unions, left-wing parties and social organizations accused the police of excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, although the authorities denounced the violence of some protesters, linked to the so-called "black bloc", which frequently breaks into mobilizations to sow chaos. .
Dozens of arrests were registered in several cities due to riots and clashes with security forces, in an increasingly tense scenario, fueled by the Government's decision to adopt the retirement reform under article 49.3 of the Constitution, ignoring the vote of the National Assembly.
The day before, President Emmanuel Macron defended his project and suggested, without mentioning it directly, that the French should take the decision, in order to move towards other issues, among which he highlighted employment, education and ecology.
For her part, the former presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, a representative of the extreme right, a sector that does not participate in the demonstrations but rejects the measure, described the signal sent by the mobilization as very strong and affirmed that Macron governs alone, when I should do it with the people.
In this sense, the platforms of the protesters stressed that “The anger does not subside. The inappropriate and offensive attitude and comments of the President of the Republic have reinforced it. Today it has resulted in a wave of protesters demanding the withdrawal of this unfair pension reform”.
https://www.telesurtv.net/news/convocan ... -0007.html
Google Translator
************
Resistance to pension reform in France intensifies
Trade unions and left groups in France have escalated protests against the unpopular pension reforms which were passed recently by the government
March 24, 2023 by Peoples Dispatch
Massive mobilizations rocked France on Thursday, March 23. Workers have given an ultimatum to French President Emmanuel Macron demanding that his government withdraw the pension reform that was passed without a vote in parliament.
According to estimates by unions, a total of around 3.5 million people hit the streets in more than 250 locations across France on Thursday.
Workers have continued work stoppages in critical areas including energy, transportation, railways, seaports, airports, industries, school, colleges and universities, municipal services including waste management, and tightened blockades of major roads, bridges and roundabouts in major cities. Sporadic clashes with security forces have been reported in several areas along with arrests of protesters.
On March 22 in an TV interview, Macron reiterated his plan to implement the pension reform by the end of the year and did not show any willingness to cede to the demands put forth by the platform of trade unions and left-wing parties to roll back the reform, or to conduct a national referendum on its implementation. The unpopular reform, announced on January 10, called to increase the retirement age in the country from 62 to 64 and made 43 years of service mandatory to avail full pensions and benefits. Heavy deployment of security forces continues in cities under the order of Macron to remove blockades.
On March 16, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invoked the emergency provision Article 49.3 of the constitution to bypass voting in the National Assembly, and passed the “law amending financing of Social Security for 2023,” instituting the controversial pension reform proposed on January 10. The move triggered spontaneous protest across the country. Protests intensified when the government survived a vote of no-confidence on March 20, tabled by opposition groups in the National Assembly. The motion failed after falling short of just nine votes.
Action by the CNRS divers from Roscoff. Photo: CGT
Trade unionists affiliated to General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and others have raised banners protesting the reform at the summit of Canigou at Pyrenees in Southern France, and CNRS divers from Roscoff mounted the CGT flag on the seabed to protest the reform.
On Thursday, Fabien Roussel MP, leader of the French Communist Party (PCF), said, “Macron is betting on violence, chaos in the country” while his “government is hanging by a thread. In a few days, we went from the debate on pensions to police violence.”
He has also called to expand the mobilization, to bring the country to a standstill and hit the economy hard. Roussell urged “the creation of a union between the left and the trade union organizations to work hand in hand.”
Trade unions and left movements from Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, and elsewhere expressed support and solidarity towards the French protests.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/03/24/ ... tensifies/
***********
Macron must go
March 23, 6:50 p.m
France is rising up against the tyrannical regime of Macron. The country was engulfed in riots and strikes, people smashing shops, setting fire to police stations, burning cars, blocking the work of airports, waste incinerators, LNG terminals, refineries and highways. The unions say this is just the beginning, and they are building on the overwhelming opposition to Macron's pension reform and intend to push for its repeal. The radical part of the protesters goes further and demands the resignation of the government, the resignation of Macron and new elections.
Lots of videos from the protests:
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/81198
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/81208
Macron's dictatorial regime must go. France will be a free country.
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/8245027.html
Google Translator