Millions take to the streets in France

mass demonstration in Toulouse

Three million people took to the streets in towns and cities across France today, in a mass display of opposition to the French government’s austerity plans, which include raising the retirement age by two years.

Today’s demonstrations follow a week of unrest, which has seen a general strike on Tuesday and continuous strikes across different key sectors which are ongoing. Workers at every major fuel refinery in France have walked out, with blockades erected at their gates – it’s been so effective that the country’s main airports may run out of fuel by next week. School students have been out in force, with tens of thousands coming out to join the street demonstrations, and barricading shut the entrances to their schools. Even in small towns, thousands have been coming out onto the streets, such is the level of anger at the government’s proposals, which are being spearheaded by President Nicolas Sarkozy, who came into office promising to be a French version of Thatcher.

Protests are being stepped up ahead of a parliamentary vote on the proposals this coming Wednesday. Another general strike has been called for Tuesday, while lorry drivers are expected to come out on Monday.

There’s now speculation that the unrest could transform into the kind of action which halted the government’s last go at pension reform – in 1995. Then, three weeks of non-stop action by public sector and transport workers forced the government to capitulate on their proposals, which similarly included a raising of the retirement age.

Across Europe, government’s are making a concerted attempt to force the working class to pay for their massive bail-outs of the rich, with ideologically driven austerity programmes that seek to destroy what remains of the welfare state.

In Scotland, we’ve still to see anything near the level of militancy shown in France over the past week. But as the impact of the cuts begins to be felt, it’s vital that we too have a mass movement of resistance – in the streets, in workplaces and in our schools and universities.

On Wednesday, Chancellor George Osborne will line up the details of the Coalition’s austerity plans, with billions of pounds worth of cuts in public spending across the board. In Scotland, we have our chance to show our opposition to them on Saturday, with the STUC demonstration in Edinburgh. Although it’s unlikely we’ll see the kind of protest that’s hit France, Saturday is an important step in building the resistance in Scotland. See you on the streets!

Students in Paris blockade their school

High school students face down the polis in Lyon