photos of French demonstrations

[reggie the dog]

Source: from var matin

A festive demonstration in the town i live in called Draguignan home to 35 000 people in the hills about 25 miles from the sea over the first range of hills


Retraites: les images de la manifestation à Draguignan le mardi 12 octobre

Draguignan - mardi 12 octobre 2010

22/22 photos
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A l'instar du cortège toulonnais, les manifestants ont été très mobilisés à Draguignan. Plus de 4 000 personnes ont battu le pavé de la cité dracénoise dont une forte délégation de lycéens et étudiants qui étaient environ 300. A titre de comparaison la manifestation du 23 septembre dernier avait réuni entre 3000 et 3500 personnes. A noter, la présence de 300 chimistes de la France entière venus manifester alors qu'ils étaient réunis en congrès national à Ramatuelle.

my translation

As was the case with the movement in Toulon, demonstrators were very mobilized in Draguignan (where I live). More than 4 000 people hit the streets in the dracénoise town center with a strong representation of high school and university students (small high school and tiny university with less kids than the high school). this can be compared to the demonstrations on 23 September when between 3000 and 3500 people came together. It should be noted that 300 chemists from all over france came to demonstrate because they were in Ramatuelle for a national conference.

Dylan Meiffret

Read more: http://www.varmatin.com/diaporama/retraites-les-images-de-la-manifestation-a-draguignan-le-mardi-12-octobre?idx=4#top-diapo

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The photos are of the small town i live in in the south of France and this is what a typical demonstration looks like here, this is breaking news because it is ongoing, trains, the post office, ports, and oil raffineries are all on strike and today high school kids all over france left school, took over ports roads and railroads, set fire to garbage cans on major roads and the like. we dont want to raise our retirement age.

[Uncle Joe]

1. Is there a link with an English translation of this?

What are they protesting about?

Thanks for the thread, reggie the dog.

[reggie the dog]

2. they are protesting about

the government raising the retirement age progressively from 60 to 62 then 65 then 67.......

the ports where our goods and oil come in have been on strike for 17 days, the govt broke into the strategic reserve of oil to assure that cars and trucks can roll but of the 10 rafineries without oil all 10 went on strike once the govt oil was to be sent! over 85% or our gasoline and diesel production is off line!!!!i am stocking up on groceries tomorrow

[Uncle Joe]

3. That sounds pretty serious,

I wish y'all the best of luck in working this out.

[reggie the dog]

4. thanks

i translated the bit in french for you too

[Uncle Joe]

5. Thanks for that translation.

Take care and have good night.

[Citizen Worker]

6. This is what democracy looks like! Our French brothers and sisters understand the meaning

of citizenship, community and democracy. On the other hand we seem to have put it down somewhere and can't find it.

[zeemike]

7. That would be astonishing in an American town of that size.

I knew there was some reason I liked the French....they stick together and support one another.

[DeSwiss]

8. K&R

- Solidarité avec nos frères et sœurs Français!!!

[reggie the dog]

9. the union boys are out on the street corners today

passing out flyers and calling for a protest tomorrow!!! plus there are striking postal workers walking around town with signs on their back saying why they are on strike!!!! the high school kids are supposed to do something again today but they are not letting us adults in on it :) i really love this country warts and all!!!

[Greyhound]

10. I felt that way about here when I was very young.

Perhaps it was my age or just the neighborhood I lived in, but there was a tangible change when Raygun ascended to the throne.

The French are willing and their nation is big enough to stop this. Good on all of you!
:kick: & R

[Hannah Bell]

11. no, it wasn't your age, there *was* a tangible change. that year was a definite dividing line.

mt st helens eruption, john lennon died, reagan came to power.

three endings & the beginning of the years of crap.

[Greyhound]

12. The no-post bug strikes again.

[Greyhound]

13. The bigots and the ultra-authoritarians just poured out of their dark holes.

Turned me off of politics just as I was learning what it was.

As this cycle progresses we should get another chance, maybe.
:kick:

[malaise]

14. Thanks

Workers of the world unite