Posted on 03/15/2006 2:05:20 AM PST by MadIvan
Thousands of students marched through Paris and blockaded universities across France yesterday as their revolt against the government over a controversial new youth employment law intensified.
Dominique de Villepin, the prime minister, has staked his reputation, and possibly his job, on a measure that aims to cut rampant youth unemployment with two-year contracts that enable employers to sidestep rigid French labour laws and fire them without reason.
It has provoked violent protests and yesterday riot police were on stand-by in the capital as marchers blocked boulevards and junctions.
"This is not 1968 all over again," said a protesting student of Sorbonne University, referring to the tumultuous Paris Spring.
Elodie, 21, a sociology student, said: "The issues are different from those our parents were protesting about. We are marching for the right to proper jobs."
Romain, 20, a communications student, said: "We don't want the Anglo-Saxon economic model here. The protests will be kept up as long as necessary but we are not trying to bring down the government, just to get them to withdraw this bad law."
Despite a weekend operation by riot police to end a student occupation of the Sorbonne, and clashes at the neighbouring College de France, the protests have spread to other parts of the country.
More than half of France's 84 state universities are strikebound or engulfed by demonstrators.
Amid gathering unrest on the streets, President Jacques Chirac pledged his support to the beleaguered centre-Right government.
"I support totally and without reservations the action carried out by the prime minister and government," he said during a visit to Berlin.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Sorry, mon ami, not everyone can carry the white flag for their country.
How ironic. That's precisely what their Socialist brothers in America want...
1968 was one of the worst years of the modern era. Everything from the crushing of the Prague Spring to the Paris demonstrations, meant it was an unending litany of pure crap.
Which makes it very unusual that the French students don't want it to be 1968 all over again.
Regards, Ivan
They strike because the measure will end rampant unemployment.....they LIKE to be rampantly unemployed. There's a good living in it. Like, they'll have to work for their money. That's the Anglo-Saxon model they loathe.
Yes, they don't like having to embrace real life and that one has to earn a living. Too bad.
Regards, Ivan
I desparately want one of those proper jobs. Whine and cheese tasting sounds good, and how about food taster for people who could possibly be poisoned, latrine duty has its merits, can't get fired from that one, there are a thousand proper jobs for people like Elodie, I don't see what the problem is. Get out there and grab em while they are hot.
Too bad, as well, the Anglo-Saxon model has fallen out of favor in our Anglo-Saxon nations. I guess we haven't quite reached critical mass, though.
Notice Chirac was out of France when he announced support of the 'right wing' govt.'s law. What France needs is a race of robots to do all the nasty work, while the proletariat can do as they please. Oh, I forgot, that's why they let all those Muslims in.
This is a good example why I have no hope for the French.
They're determined to destroy themselves...
Sorry, nobody has the right to a job unless they are willing to work at Chinese wages.
BUMP
"Oh, I forgot, that's why they let all those Muslims in."
Riiiiiight, worked out well, non? NO!
Small correction: to expect it to be handed to you on a silver platter is simply...spoiled liberal.
They march because these are the privileged who will get the jobs. Once they get these jobs they know they can't be fired. What they fear is that in an open economy the not-so-privileged will outcompete them so it's crucial that they never get that chance. It's the opposite of 1968. They march for stasis, not for change.
Let me guess, more hooliganism from French yutes, right?
France has so many social issues they have created for themselves, it will take a century of social unrest to rectify them. Their employment contract for life is about as dumb an idea as I have ever heard for a country that still claims to be a free democracy.
They sound more like a borderline socialist/communist country every day.
These people are so far removed from the "Anglo-Saxon model" the comparison doesn't make sense.
Thanks for the ping Ivan. A right to jobs....suuure.
Anglo-Saxon economics ping.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.