‘One man with an idea in his head is in danger of being considered a madman: two men with the same idea in common may be foolish, but can hardly be mad; ten men sharing an idea begin to act, a hundred draw attention as fanatics, a thousand and society begins to tremble, a hundred thousand and there is war abroad, and the cause has victories tangible and real; and why only a hundred thousand? Why not a hundred million and peace upon the earth? You and I who agree together, it is we who have to answer that question.’
William Morris
The French are up in arms because French capitalists, through the auspices of the executive that runs France on behalf of capitalism, wants to prolong the age at which French workers can cease to be wage slaves. Note that even having ceased to be in receipt of a wage or salary, and retired, the vast majority still remain part of the working class. The proletariat cannot be expected not to kick against the pricks when it feels the provocation warrants it. Workers are not beasts of burden but must often feel they are treated as such. The working class produces the whole cake; it should looking to own all of it, not a few crumbs. Do these protests signify a new wave of class consciousness ? Not in the sense that those protesting are calling for the replacement of capitalism by socialism. That requires a majority understanding of, and desire for, a class free, money free, state free society in place of the present exploitative system which is run to benefit the minority. Alongside ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité,’ the rallying cry should be, Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!
‘French authorities struggled on Thursday to suppress the protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform. Over a million demonstrators took to the streets across the country in what some security sources described as an “insurrection” against the government in Paris.
Tens of thousands of workers went on strike and protesters blocked public transportation, schools and oil refineries. Attempting to break up the protests, police used tear gas, water cannons, flash-bangs and batons. Videos making rounds on social media showed heavily armored officers clubbing unarmed demonstrators.
The entrance to the city hall in Bordeaux, the regional capital of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, was set ablaze at one point. At least one unit of firefighters switched sides and joined the protesters. Multiple eyewitnesses described the situation as “out of control.”
“It’s war in Paris, no time to post, take care of yourself,” tweeted one independent media outlet.
Almost 150 police officers and gendarmes have been injured, Interior Minister Garald Darmanin said on Thursday evening, calling this “absolutely unacceptable” and demanding harsh punishment for the attackers. Darmanin also told reporters that 172 people were detained for questioning about the “looting and arson” in Paris, and that 190 fires had been set in the French capital, 50 of which were still burning as of 10 pm local time.
The interior minister blamed the “extreme left” and “black bloc” anarchists for the worst of the violence.
The police estimated more than a million protesters were in the streets.
The outpouring of popular discontent was triggered by President Macron’s announcement that the retirement age will be raised from 62 to 64, starting next year. Macron insisted that the change was necessary, otherwise the pension system would go bankrupt within the next several years.
The Elysee Palace imposed the change without consulting lawmakers, who have been trying to deal with the controversial proposal since January. Protesters responded by calling on Macron to resign.
Appearing on TV on Wednesday, Macron said his only mistake was “failing to convince people” of the decision’s merits, but insisted he would not back down, even if that meant having to “shoulder unpopularity.”
While there is a constitutionally protected right to protest, Macron said, if the malcontents use violence, “then that is no longer democracy.”
Though heavily criticized due to the harsh coronavirus lockdowns and mandates, Macron easily won re-election in 2022, eventually defeating Marine Le Pen by a 17-point margin. The runoff election saw the lowest turnout since 1969.’
RT24/3/23
Dave C
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