Riots in France

I doubt your last - a bit, George.

I think, you've the advantage to cover up it better, by various means like outfit, language etc. .



Now, back reading Le Figaro ... :wink:

As of today, out of the 84 French universities, 45 are closed/blocked by students according to the French National Education Ministry, while the student's organsation Unef names 59 universities.


Chirac wished today that a dialogue opens between the government and the social partners. At a cabinet meting, he gave again full support for the CPE and Prime Minister de Villepin.

Nouvelle Observateur: Jacques Chirac appelle à ouvrir le dialogue social

N.B.: the Nouvele Observateur has a translation button on the website

Tonight, there's a seminar for the cabinet, where ministers are sworn in to defend the new law.

However, de Villepin said in a communite that he is "open for dialogue".

WHAT YOU DOIN NOT WATCHIN BOLTON WEST HAM?

bye until after match

Don't buckle, DeV.


<sigh>

He wants to become president, Lash - but I suppose, neither that now will this government stay very long.

Headline Le Monde "Face à la mobilisation contre le CPE, Villepin se dit "ouvert au dialogue" " - Confronted with the mobilisation against the CPE, Villepin avowes himself "open for dialogue"

This Special CPE from Le Nouvelle Observatuer sums up all the events and various points of views (translation button always down at the end of the various sites).

Today, between 247,000 (according to the police) and 500,000 (according to the organisators) students and pupils went demonstrating through various (bigger) cities in France.

In Paris:

In front of the Marseille courthouse:

It seems, the demonstrations are dominating more and more the French media. And public life.

Le Figaro, Friday March 17:

The pic (as well from tomorrow's Le Figaro, page 8 print version) shows where the demonstrations were today, how many attended and list the previous great student demonstrations in France

BBC--Chirac says law necessary to stem unemployment.

Another article.

This is quite interesting.

Obviously, rioters from all over Europe are trying to join these demonstrations - they've nothing to do with the demonstrations but it's just "for fun"

Two out of three Frenchman opposoe the laws - interestingly even more than one out of three from the conservative-right side.
(Those without oponion seem to changed rapidly after the start of demonstrations ... and/or because they got better informed by now.)

I am mystified by the intensity of the political action in France on this matter. I understand that, as Walter has pointed out, Europeans generally look more than Americans to government as the prime arbiter of social and economic matters. I also recognize that economic protections once established are politically very difficult to take down. However, I do not understand the untensity of the protest towards this very minor loosening of an obviously over-regulated labor market, particularly given the obviously adverse effect the excessive regulation has already demonstrated on employment among the young.

Could it be that this is an overlay of both ethnic/cultural and economic issues? i.e. that the unemployed are mostly immigrant North Africans and the "protected" are mostly native Frenchmen? Do the students of French Universities themselves face a significant prospect of unemployment? or, alternatively, do nthey see the measure as mnerely reducing protections (privileges) they would otherwise enjoy? The latter seems much more likely.

Obviously, George, you either didn't read of most what was quoted/written above or ... well, it really might be one of those European specificism, which can't be considered by Americans: it is - until now - still a student "riot", which is supported by the majority of French citizens.

I've really no idea, why you now bring the ethnic/cultural card up again.

The students want a job, a secure job - like it has been law until now.

I'm not sure either if this are 'privileges' - since everyone in France got them - whom were they more privileged over?

I don't know, if French students would face a significant prospect unemeployment by this law - but I do know that they fear to loose the job - if they've got one - from one minue to the next without being told any reason.


Happy St. Patrick Day!

I do believe I understood what I read. I have not "brought up the ethnic/cultural card again" as you say.. I neither brought it up before nor offered any criticism of the French for their policies or situation in this matter. I am not trying to smear the French here, but rather to get better understanding of the situation.

I do note that the French PM was quoted in the articles as noting the importance of the new law as a response to the earlier ethnic disturbances and the unemployment that he suggested was an underlying cause. I also note that the rioters are generally identified as university students - a group not heavily populated with North African immigrants.

I find it quite remarkable that young, healthy university graduates would have such anxiety about future employment in any developed country. Either they are unusually timid and full of anxiety, or their expectations of child-like security have been raised to unrealistic heights. I believe it is fair to say that students of state run universities are 'privileged" - they have already left a large fraction of their contemporaries behind them in achievement, and enjoy statistically significantly better prospects for future economic welfare than the average for their age group.

If it is true, as the PM says, that the new law will benefit unemployed immigrant youth, then the fact that it is university students and not the immigrants who are rioting strongly suggests the merit of my point.

(The 'real' riots = burning cars etc, are until today not done by the students and pupils but by "common European rioters". More than 95%, at least; and until now.)

In an interview, aired by a couple of (private) radiuo stations, an aide (Patrick Devedjian) to Interior Minister Sarkozy said this afternoon that the "sarkozistes" are not happy with this law, would have made it different but had to follow the captain [Villepin].

According to this interview, Sarkozy thinks this law to be "adventurous".

-------------

The Interiior Minister said in a press conference today that the rioters (from last night) were no students or pupils but rioters from the extreme right and extreme left as well as those from the suburbian regions.

If this comment is true:

I'm not sure either if this are 'privileges' - since everyone in France got them - whom were they more privileged over?

Why is minority employment an issue?

It appears that cronyism, or racism, is fueling the disparity of jobs. This is why the seemingly lily white college students are ones in the streets.

The dark skinned rioted for jobs, et al.

DeV attempts to take steps to enhance their ability to get jobs.

The white students riot to keep the status quo.

This seems like a very serious situation. More serious than a couple of riots.

I agree - on the one side, peole don't like taken "their rights" away here, on the other, they don't like riots.

It's not just a student issue, btw: the demonstrations are backed by 70% of the population - more than a million demonstrators are expected today.

Today's day of action was called by trade unions, students and the entire opposition.