Burning rubbish, truncheon blows and police charges: this is how the spontaneous demonstrations born in Paris and in other French cities such as Strasbourg o Rennes, after the rejection of the motions of no confidence to overthrow the Borne government and then the adoption of the pension reform in the National Assembly. The first transversal motion, presented by the parliamentary group Liot (Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories)voted for by both the left-wing union Nupes that from National Gathering by Marine Le Pen, failed by just nine votes. Yesterday evening, 234 people were arrested in the capital, where 2,000 police officers were deployed, according to data obtained from BFM TV. Meanwhile, the unions have announced a new general strike for March 23 and the goal is to block the country.
Escalation of protests – Since the executive announced last week the use of article 49-3 of the Constitution for the adoption of the reform, a choice that has often been perceived as a “forced imposition” by the government, protests such as these, defined as “wild” demonstrations, in which the clashes and reactions from the forces of order they are increasingly violent, they are the order of the day.
In fact, with the failure of the no-confidence motions and the adoption of the pension reform, the grievances of the demonstrators, as well as the social tensions, do not seem to have subsided. Indeed, some fear an escalation of reactions and general discontent, but also of police repression. As Marie, an employee of a branch of EDF, the leading producer and supplier of electricity in France, and militant in the CGT Mine-Energia union, explained to ilfattoquotidiano.it: “If the government persists in maintaining the reform, I don’t know what will happen. I am very scared, we are really worried. Until Thursday I don’t know what will happen. Whenever the government tramples on the people, the people are very angry and need to worry. We see that the younger ones need to express their anger and that is normal. We know how to control demonstrations, but we don’t necessarily know how to manage the spontaneous movements that arise like this, everywhere. In recent days we have also seen the police escalate, and it is never a good sign. And this is the government’s responsibility, we can’t help it”.
Even many of the young people, among the protagonists since the beginning of the protest, are at the forefront of the demonstrations, in the occupied high schools and faculties, but also on the various blocked sites, in support of the striking workers. It is the testimony of Christmasa young eighteen-year-old student, militant in the Solidaires union: “My university is right next to the incinerator of Ivry (site blocked by garbage collectors since 6 March, ed)”, he told ilfattoquotidiano.it, “and many students have gone to support workers, because we know how difficult it is to strike for months. The youth is with them and we will support them whatever happens, because we are in the same boat,” he says. As for the form the protests are taking and the future of the mobilization, he added: “I think that the fact that the motion of no confidence has not passed will have the opposite effect, that is, it will not extinguish the movement, it will inflame it even more and more people will they will mobilize. Right now the balance of power is in our favor”. For her, the combination of spontaneous protests, trade union demonstrations and student occupations, together with the involvement of all sectors in the strike can only “make the government retreat” in the face of a protest that is no longer fighting only the single reform , but it conveys all the frustrations caused by a government which, in the eyes of some, has led to an increase in precariousness among young people and workers.
Extend the movement – Being able to aggregate the highest number of sectors, but also the different ways of protesting, seems to be the challenge facing demonstrators and strikers in this new phase of protest. “Today we are at a stage where we hope that a general anger will arise among the French, that the number of strikers is growing almost everywhere and a general strike across the country. Let’s hope that everyone comes out, mobilizes, blocks as they can, that students join an even stronger movement. Today people are spitting on the rules of democracy, so we too no longer apply the rules. We are launching an appeal to intensify and extend the movement”, he always told ilfattoquotidiano.it Farid Boukhenfer, train driver at the RATP (public body that manages transport in Paris) and also a militant at Solidaires. Since March 7, the historic strike day that saw 3.5 million protesters in the squares according to the CGT, he and his other colleagues have gone on a continuous strike. But today the service remains guaranteed overall: “We hope to start again with higher figures (of strikers, ed), also in other sectors. Thursday will be very important, but let’s hope it won’t be the last and that we will block everything. In addition to the strike, the street must also enter the battle,” he said. It is inevitable that the protests will become radicalized and lead increasingly to violence: “People have used all conventional, legal means, and Macron does not want to listen to us anyway. It is normal for there to be wild demonstrations and for the protest to be tougher. It is Macron and the government who wanted it ”, he closed.
If it is difficult to know how long the strikes and the actions undertaken to “lock down the economy” can last, the government’s choice to resort to the 49-3 is inciting some to continue: “I have been on strike since March 7, without being paid”, commented Christophe, also a train driver, “I admit that I was about to go back to work, but after the 49-3 I continue, at least until Thursday”. While Thursday 23 promises a great day of strike, yesterday 20 March a bill for a “shared initiative referendum” against the reform was sent to the Constitutional Council. If this were to approve it, 4.7 million signatures will have to be collected to reach a referendum. Meanwhile, today blockades and strikes continue throughout France on the roads, in transport, in refineries and even in universities, and about 9,000 tons of waste accumulate in the capital.