French authorities have begun the mass arrests of protestors taking part in what some are calling the biggest revolution in France for 200 years.
Hundreds of thousands of protestors have taken to the streets of France over the last few weeks, as the mainstream media continue to remain silent on the grass roots changes sweeping the country.
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In response, police have begun arresting citizens and using water cannons to disperse crowds in an attempt to stifle the revolution.
Aljazeera.com reports:
At least 40 people were injured and 73 arrested on Tuesday as some 75,000 demonstrators amassed in Paris in the latest round of protests against the controversial reforms.
According to police, 29 members of the security forces were among the 40 injured.
The AFP news agency reported that hundreds of masked protesters hurled objects at police and stormed a building site in the capital.
Sparking months of street protests and widespread opposition, the bill, which was pushed through last month, retains France’s cherished 35-hour working week but allows companies to organise alternative working times.
Those include a working week of up to 48 hours and 12-hour days for temporary periods. In “exceptional circumstances”, employees could work up to 60 hours a week.
Strikes on Tuesday also closed the Eiffel Tower and disrupted transport links as tens of thousands of fans continue to pour into the country for the Euro 2016 football event.
Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from Paris, said the protest was rambunctious but peaceful and only flared when demonstrators arrived in the area of Les Invalides.
“When police brought in water cannon trucks and fired tear gas to disperse the crowds – that’s when the clashes intensfied,” our correspondent said.
“Most of the people we spoke to said they didn’t want the protest to turn violent, they believed that would detract attention from the demonstration which was essentially demanding that the government revoke these labour reforms.”
“Many of the protesters were saying that the reforms in and of themselves were bad enough, but the fact that these were being pushed by a Socialist government – made it worse. They were saying a Socialist government should protect the workers not the employers,” he added.
The strike is the latest in months of industrial action that has seen air and rail transport severely disrupted, fuel shortages and rubbish piled up on the streets of Paris.
France’s Senate started debating the reforms on Monday, which are aimed at making the job market more flexible and reducing high unemployment – but critics see the reforms as too pro-business.
Protests against the reform started on March 9, culminating in massive demonstrations on March 31 that brought nearly 400,000 people on to the streets.
Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri, restated the government’s strategy ahead of the protest, saying the law could be tweaked in detail but there was no question of gutting it of the essentials or dropping it.
France’s deeply unpopular President Francois Hollande has just over a year left in office and had been banking on the labour reform as a standout initiative with which to defend his record.
Sean Adl-Tabatabai
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will their prisons be big enough, is what I would like to know….people have a right revolt against an unjust system and government, let the people speak.
If they don’t revolt, France itself will became their prison.
will their prisons be big enough, is what I would like to know….people have a right revolt against an unjust system and government, let the people speak.
If they don’t revolt, France itself will became their prison.
At least these people can be bothered to protest. I’m disgusted to live in a country where everyone moans about conditions but cannot be bothered to get off their ass to do something about it. Just what the UK government rely on, that no one will do anything to stop the slow slip into effective slavery.
Just like the USA. everyone is too afraid to do anything here.
Speak for your self, wimp.
At least these people can be bothered to protest. I’m disgusted to live in a country where everyone moans about conditions but cannot be bothered to get off their ass to do something about it. Just what the UK government rely on, that no one will do anything to stop the slow slip into effective slavery.
Just like the USA. everyone is too afraid to do anything here.
France… what a joke! Socialists fighting socialists…
France… what a joke! Socialists fighting socialists…
No violence until the police showed up. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
Exactly, I was speaking about the mercenary police causing violence.
No violence until the police showed up. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
Exactly, I was speaking about the mercenary police causing violence.
These terrorist groups or organizations are paid mercenaries. Follow the money…who’s paying them?
terrorist group? for what? protesting! dickhead
These terrorist groups or organizations are paid mercenaries. Follow the money…who’s paying them?
terrorist group? for what? protesting! dickhead
Peaceful protestor are fine. It’s important for their voice to be heard….however….
Masked protesters who are seen throwing objects at police should be immediately shot by police snipers. After the first or second masked protestor loses his head and hits the ground, the rest will scatter like cockroaches.
Follow up with sniper shots to masked protestors chucking deadly objects on subsequent days and the masks will quickly come off and the throwing of objects will cease.
Anytime a protestor throws a brick or burning molotov cocktail, the person struck could be severely injured or killed. As such, deadly force is justified against anyone throwing such potentially deadly projectiles.
you must be an American, with that logic.
Wherever he’s from he’s one that is quite satisfied sitting in his tiny little shit hole, owned by the bank where he can throw his shit stained underwear and empty beer cans on the floor while the world burns around him as he watches some Conservative opiniater tell him what to think. In other words, a man that is all to ready to condem people he’s never met to death at the hands of military style police but too fucking lazy to get off his dead ass and actually contribute anything to society.
So, a Hilliary supporter.
You must be an idiot to disagree with me.
or Israeli
Peaceful protestor are fine. It’s important for their voice to be heard….however….
Masked protesters who are seen throwing objects at police should be immediately shot by police snipers. After the first or second masked protestor loses his head and hits the ground, the rest will scatter like cockroaches.
Follow up with sniper shots to masked protestors chucking deadly objects on subsequent days and the masks will quickly come off and the throwing of objects will cease.
Anytime a protestor throws a brick or burning molotov cocktail, the person struck could be severely injured or killed. As such, deadly force is justified against anyone throwing such potentially deadly projectiles.
you must be an American, with that logic.
Wherever he’s from he’s one that is quite satisfied sitting in his tiny little shit hole, owned by the bank where he can throw his shit stained underwear and empty beer cans on the floor while the world burns around him as he watches some Conservative opiniater tell him what to think. In other words, a man that is all to ready to condem people he’s never met to death at the hands of military style police but too fucking lazy to get off his dead ass and actually contribute anything to society.
You must be an idiot to disagree with me.
or Israeli