Huge crowds join French strikes

Huge crowds join French strikes

news.bbc.co.uk

Huge crowds have taken to the streets in France to protest over the handling of the economic crisis, causing disruption to rail and air services.

Unions said 2.5m workers had rallied to demand action to protect wages and jobs. Police put the total at 1m.

President Nicolas Sarkozy said concerns over the crisis were legitimate and the government had to listen and act.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I know that France tends to be the country that strikes and riots over just about anything (democratic right and all that), but this time i think this should serve as a warning to the powers that be.

2.5 million people in one go? Thats pretty a pretty big protest. If this isn't a sign that things are really hitting the fan now, i don't know what is.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Imagine if we could get that same coordination and activism in the US.

Workers all taking a day to strike, no one shows up at work - in ANY industry - travel would shut down!!

Alas, we are so complacent to the atrocities committed by our government, we hardly even groan about it

typo

[edit on 1/29/09 by redhatty]

reply to post by redhatty


I think the problem is more that we are too concerned about our slavery to the dollar. Why risk a day off work protesting if that means you might live uncomfortably for a while?

We North Americans are too enslaved to Materialism to care to defend our rights and freedoms.

reply to post by redhatty


I think people everywhere should do this.I am from Canada and I wish we did that here.
They aren't going to change anything the way we are right now.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


I'm Canadian born and raised. We have to be the most complacent people on the face of the earth, honestly. Our government gets away with things that make me wonder whether they keep us drugged up so we don't notice, sometimes.

reply to post by D.E.M.


I agree 100%
Until our living standards drop then nobody will lift a finger as they are too wrapped up in their own lives.
Once the standard of living decreases then it might happen but in my opinion people aren't even realizing the standard of living they have right now.

Do you guys think there will be any major changes in France tomorrow as a result of this strike?

There are still 59 million French people who stayed out of it.

reply to post by jam321


Well Thailand comes to mind.
I seriously doubt it but 2.5 million people is one hell of a start.
Maybe...we never know.

Originally posted by jam321
Do you guys think there will be any major changes in France tomorrow as a result of this strike?

There are still 59 million French people who stayed out of it.

Are you implying that "1 million frenchmen could be wrong"?

Mais non - If 1 million people are saying you they are un'appy with the government the President will be listening trust me. In the US if 10 atheists compalin at Christmas , Christmas gets cancelled.

Its like reaching critical mass. 59 million may have stayed out of it, but they're not closing their eyes either. They're just not braving the protest, but many are there in heart and soul. I had a really hard time at a protest, when my friend and I took the kids, put signs on all of us and went. Its not an easy thing for many to do.

I think a general strike would be a very good first step in a massive protest here, closer to home.

[edit on 29-1-2009 by mystiq]

Originally posted by D.E.M.
reply to post by redhatty

 

I think the problem is more that we are too concerned about our slavery to the dollar. Why risk a day off work protesting if that means you might live uncomfortably for a while?

We North Americans are too enslaved to Materialism to care to defend our rights and freedoms.

You are right on. We need to take a look at how this is becoming a self-made slavery if we refuse to break the mold of control that has been set for us. We must avoid the "deer caught in the headlights" syndrome and plan for our autonomy the best that we can.

reply to post by Mynaeris


Are you answering a question with a question?

No, I did not even touch on whether they are right or wrong.

just asking a question.

Originally posted by jam321
Do you guys think there will be any major changes in France tomorrow as a result of this strike?

There are still 59 million French people who stayed out of it.

Apparently it worked to some extent, just off the Marketwatch ticker

France Finance Minister Christine Lagarde on Thursday asked the European Central Bank to devise and implement a euro-zone clearing system for credit derivatives, the Financial Times reported. In a letter to ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet, Lagarde called on the central bank to take the lead in
creating a clearing system for all over-the-counter derivatives, as
industry-led solutions have failed. In response, the ECB referred to earlier comments that it welcomes European Commission efforts to create an E.U. counterparty clearing.

May not be the right answer, but it's a start

Originally posted by D.E.M.
reply to post by redhatty

 

I think the problem is more that we are too concerned about our slavery to the dollar. Why risk a day off work protesting if that means you might live uncomfortably for a while?

We North Americans are too enslaved to Materialism to care to defend our rights and freedoms.

Hence my comment re: complacency

Well, get enough people out of work and soon we may see what happens when the sleeping bear awakens

reply to post by D.E.M.


My husband only came few moments ago, when I was chatting with a friend of mine online to tell me about the riots. I think that this unrest could explode in other parts of the world.

If it happens here, London would be the worst hit with the riots. There were riots or rather protests in London, not so long back (I can't remember exactly when it was, but it was within this decade). I can't remember what it was over, but if it were to happen again-I think it will be bigger than the last one.

Gordon Brown and Labour aren't too popular at the moment. Many British people feel he has sold us out. I wish he had called for a General Election earlier, so we weren't in the mess we are in now. He has dug a hole so deep that any party taking over will take years to sort out the mess he and Labour have made.

Britain is facing a crisis worse than during the crash of 1929. It is scary.

Euronews is reporting that Russians are planning to protest on Sat. People are fed up that the gov't is only helping the rich through rough economic times.