NO SURRENDER MONKEYS

As many as 3.5 million demonstrators took to the streets across France on Tuesday (12th) to protest against Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans for pension reform.

The strike included air traffic control, rail and buses, refineries, schools, universities, gas and electricity sectors, docks, post offices, weather forecasting stations (who made sure the rain, for the most part, didn’t scab on the strike), tax collecting offices and loads of other sectors - even some municipal police went on strike (the poor things are openly complaining about suicidal depression because of the stress). Blockades and General Assemblies appeared fairly extensively and many sectors will continue the strike indefinitely. Loads of High Schools took part, with even the Ministry of Education admitting to over 230 blockades. And, of course, there was the traditional mini-riot at the end of the Paris demo as night fell - without which no large demo is complete.

The strike continued in some sectors on Wednesday - in Paris, for example, only 25% of trains were running in the morning, causing massive traffic jams. “The stoppage has been extended until at least Thursday, which will be a decisive day for its continuation,” said Bruno Duchemin, the secretary general of the FGAAC-CFDT rail-workers’ union.

The Sarkozy government’s legislation raises the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, and raises the age at which workers become eligible for full pension from 65 to 67. This is the third general strike in the space of 5 weeks.

Following the strikes, labour minister, Eric Woerth told RTL radio, “I’m not denying there were a lot of people in the streets but at the same time what can we do?” Well, since you ask...