Millions demonstrate in France against pension cuts: interviews

On October 12, millions of workers and students took to the streets across France to protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy's pension cuts. Virtually every industrial area, in the private and public sector, went on strike. The trade unions estimated that up to 3.5 million protesters marched in 250 demonstrations throughout France.



In Paris, high school students Hugo and Julien said they thought the government would not back down on the cuts. Despite the demonstrations and strikes against the reform of high schools, the government had pushed it through. They hoped to continue the strikes and “put the economy at risk.”

Davoux, a railway worker and member of the SUD unions, said, “Sarkozy is attacking our social gains, we must defend them. France is wealthy enough to fund retirements. The government is very firm in refusing to negotiate. We have to extend the strike, so the government makes real concessions—the goal is to maintain the retirement age at 60. A general strike would force the government to negotiate. We must mobilize the private sector; the problem is that they fear being fired and losing wages when they go on strike."

In Amiens, over 10,000 people demonstrated. Nearly every high school in the city and surrounding towns was on strike along with thousands of students, some of them chanting: “To arms!”

Magid, a technician at Goodyear with 11 years’ experience, marched with his son. He said, “I’m not unionised, but I want the unions to organize a general strike. It can’t simply come from one workplace. The left and the PS are not planning to overthrow capitalism, and I’m against the nationalist vision of the CGT. A PS government would do the same as the of Greece: impose austerity to pay off the banks.”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/oct2010/demo-o14.shtml

Do I see a red cross with the word revolt on it? Brave people, fresh round of wiretappings on all involved!

Make it so --