Labour Law Bill
After one week of demon- strations, blockades, and strikes,
the movement has found new strength.
May 17: 220,000 demonstrators
Mai 19: 400,000 demonstrators
The railway workers on strike
The media never mentions the fact that railway wages are very low,
especially for these colleagues on the trains and at the counters:
they maybe make 1,300 euros a month, if employed full-time.
The talk about "privileged railway workers" as a discourse of power,
in order to discredit a profession that's able to block the country!
Refinery workers, transport workers and dockers have joined the battle.
The government seems to not listen to the street and is stubborn.
We're on March 49 now! That's a provocation to us,
and this provocation evokes extraordinary mobilisation;
amongst the wage earners we see an enormous unity.
The blockade of the port of Lorient (Bretagne), May 18, 2016
Remember that Total owns the largest refineries in France:
After we go on strike, production takes 10 days to go back to normal.
This means, the refineries' sub- sequent industries in northern France
will not be delivered during the next 10 days.
These workers who fight today against the new labour law
exercise a constitutional right: the right to strike.
They make use of their legal right.
They demand the retreat of the special police forces,
in order to exercise their right to strike in public, the units must go.
In the refineries, we won't accept today to be isolated,
on the contrary: expanding the movement to all companies in France,
and bringing to a halt the whole economy - that's our aim.
We demand the retreat of that bill.
Out of 50 oil depots, 10 were blocked by strikers, truckers, and supporters.
Out of 8 refineries, 5 are on strike for an undetermined time.
The refinery in Grandpuits stands idle due to the strike happening since March 17.
On May 22nd, more than 1,500 gas stations ran out of fuel, completely or partially.
On May 19th, 2,500 dockers left the port in Le Havre in order to
join the demonstration.
My question is, for public vote, who is for continuing the strike?
Le Havre: 4 of the city's junctions were blocked from Tuesday to Friday.
If there's a fuel shortage for French people today, and
if there are blockades in Le Havre,
the only responsible is the government, because it's not been the protesters
who passed this bill.
As usual the government is using repressive means
and tries to stop the movement by police violence.
Lyon, May 17i: Several demonstrators injured by the police
A CGT member: "One comrade has been injured by truncheons.
He's had stitches in the hospital.
Another's leg was injured by a grenade.
The pigs did beat up everybody (a young woman, elderly people)."
Antoine, member of the CGT and "Alternative Libertaire", got arrested violently.
Another demonstrator was arrested too, for having protested
against this police violence.
Antoine was in police custody for 48 hours.
Accused of resistance against the public force,
he refuses immediate judgement, but wants to find evidence of innocence.
He now remains in custody, waiting for his trial on June 9th.
Antoine is on hunger strike now, protesting against this arbitrariness.
"Freedom for Antoine"
May 19: The union demonstration is not allowed to go to Place d'Italie and
unionists are separated from the youth.
Tear gas, truncheons, and identifications are used against the demonstrators
Mael, a university student, got arbitrarily arrested for 40 hours.
Accusation: throwing an object. The trial will take place on June 22nd.
After the demonstration, everything was fine, very nice, even festive.
And then, tear gas...
You felt the tension rise: We were encircled by police forces.
Then the fear changes sides
Prime minister Valls on a possible fuel shortage:
I ask everybody to not... take such a hysterical attitude
... which eventually aims to spread fear.
We're fully in control of the situation.
Saying "fully in control", the govern- ment goes against the right to strike and
sends out police forces against workers.
May 20th: Eviction of a blockade
And we did vote for these bastards!
Come on, kids, let's go!
Resistance! Resistance!
It's been awful, some 300 riot cops came.
Today, I can only do one thing,
our revolt is stronger than yesterday.
May 20th: a depot near Rennes (north)
We've been very peaceful, from the beginning yesterday morning.
There's been some incidents in the city centre, well...
But the highway slowdown blockade worked out perfectly.
For we had behind us the whole population, or 80 percent.
Government action is a threat, and you've these pictures of cop violence...
I say, we're making a gift to them!
Retreat the labour law bill!
...or no social peace!
National police, police of the capital!
At the same time, at the depot in Lorient
Attach to your heart a little piece of red cloth,
a blood coloured flower.
I think, numerous refineries and depots that have been blocked
are accessible again or will be accessible in the next days.
We are firmly determined to not accept any shortages in France.
And anybody can see the firm de- termination of the French government
to avoid any shortages. In any case, we have sufficient reserves
to face these blockades.
Shortages aren't our goal, these are a consequence of the strike.
What we demand is the retreat of the new labour bill -
this is our demand to the Valls government.
He still can overthrow the bill, avoiding the refineries' idleness,
avoiding disruptions, shortages, and problems for the workers.
We are in favour of the general strike, and we're heading for it:
Refineries already are blocked, so are the transports,
a movement all over the country...
We can and need to continue, and if demonstrations are...
...not sufficient, always ending up in street fights, then we need
to block the whole economy.
And then, they, the State, will maybe give in:
because when it's about money, they do react.
In solidarity with the oil, rail- way, dock, and all workers on strike!
"...They can't pay that much to make me beat up our brothers!
No! No, no! I'm not joining the police forces, hell no! They can't..."
English Subtitles for labournet.tv by A. Förster and L. Whitney