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Thread: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Eiffel Tower closed, flights canceled, dozens injured in Paris labor strikes


    teleSUR Tue, 14 Jun 2016 19:56 UTC



    © AFP An injured protester is led away by riot police in Paris on Tuesday.

    At least six demonstrators and 20 policemen were injured as several hundred clashed with police in Paris on Tuesday in the latest demonstration against disputed labor reforms in France.

    The clashes erupted as the international spotlight was turned on France as the host of the Euro 2016 football championships, which have also been marred by violence between fans.

    Strikes closed the Eiffel Tower and disrupted transport links as tens of thousands of fans pour into the country for Europe's showcase football event.

    France has mustered up to 90,000 police and private guards to provide security for the month-long tournament.

    Authorities made six arrests and at least two people were hurt in the Paris unrest, according to an AFP reporter at the scene, as demonstrators stormed a building site and began to hurl wooden palettes at riot police.

    Pictures showed one man being led away by officers in riot gear with blood streaming from a wound above his eye, his white T-shirt splattered with blood.

    The strike is the latest in months of industrial action that has seen air and rail transport severely disrupted, fuel shortages and rubbish pile up on the streets of Paris.

    With France on high alert due to the threat of terrorism during Euro 2016, overstretched security authorities feared the demonstrations could turn violent and have banned 130 known troublemakers from taking part.

    The terrorism threat was thrust back into the spotlight after a man claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group killed a policeman and his partner at their home in a northwestern Paris suburb late Monday.

    The latest in a wave of protests that began in March coincides with a French Senate debate on the reforms, which are aimed at making the job market more flexible and reducing high unemployment but which critics see as too pro-business.

    President Francois Hollande's government has voiced hope the latest day of protest will be a last stand for the movement.

    But Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT union that spearheaded last month's blockades of fuel depots and an ongoing rail strike, predicted a "very strong mobilization."

    The CGT laid on more than 600 buses to transport demonstrators to Paris and said it hoped to attract more support than in March, when it claimed 1.2 million people took to the streets.

    ============================

    From AP:
    Seven unions and student organizations planned the protests against the proposed law to loosen labor rules which saw crowds in central Paris swell into the tens of thousands. Some of the participants later turned violent and vandalized shops and a prominent children's hospital.

    Paris police official Johanna Primevert said that in addition to the 26 injured, some 21 people were detained during the day's action against the law that is currently being debated in the Senate.

    Protesters set out from southeast Paris heading for the Invalides plaza. On the way, a group of black-clad demonstrators vandalized the Necker Children's Hospital and were dispersed by police with a water cannon.

    Health Minister Marisol Touraine called the damage "shameful" and its perpetrators "hooligans."

    Street protests also took place in other parts of France and rail workers and taxi drivers were on strike.

    In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed Tuesday because the operators said they could not guarantee public safety and taxi drivers temporarily blocked some of the city's main access roads in the morning.

    In a separate protest, Air France pilots were striking to demand better working conditions. About 20 percent of all Air France's flights were canceled, according to the company.
    Last edited by Hervé; 15th June 2016 at 20:46.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    We're too busy watching those other riots.

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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Thousands of Greeks ask premier to resign


    PressTV
    Thu, 16 Jun 2016 12:48 UTC


    Thousands of Greeks gather in front of the Greek parliament in Athens on June 15, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

    Thousands of dissatisfied Greeks have staged a protest rally in Athens and another major city to ask the government to resign over continued austerity.

    At least 10,000 Greeks gathered outside the parliament in Athens on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of the leftist government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

    The protesters were supporters of the “Resign” movement, which perceives Tsipras's policies a failure, driving the country into more poverty.

    They addressed the premier in their slogans, chanting “Resign!” and “People don’t want you, take your junta and leave!”

    A similar demonstration was held at Thessaloniki, the second largest city in the country and the capital of Greek Macedonia in northern Greece.


    A protester holds a picture depicting Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras behind bars of a prison cell during a demonstration in Athens on June 15, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

    The Resign movement was organized through Facebook and other social media a few weeks ago.

    It is a bid to allow protesters to vent their anger and discontent against strict austerity measures adopted by the ruling Syriza political party and to force the government to quit.

    The movement’s representative Eleni Kritsidima had earlier said that the rally would be a peaceful one and the protests Wednesday went by peacefully.

    The protest, however, has sparked fierce reactions from the leftist government which says the movement is instigated by opposition parties, New Democracy and PASOK.

    “The ‘Resign’ movement is a cause that does not address the needs of Greek society and which is hostile towards the country at this time,” said government spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili on state TV on Tuesday.

    “The organizers are trying to hide by saying that no [politicians] are involved and this is all a spontaneous thing,” she said.


    People hold a banner reading “Go home Tsipras” in front of the Greek parliament in Athens on June 15, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

    For years, Greece has been rocked by riots and industrial action in protest at the government's austerity policies which are dictated by the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.

    Austerity measures are intended to reduce government debt and bring stability to the nation's economy but they have failed to improve Greece's financial situation.

    The austerity program has instead compounded Greece's problems because spending cuts have worsened the crisis of lower aggregate demand.

    Last July, Greece signed a deal with the three big lenders to receive an EUR 86-billion bailout in exchange for fresh austerity reforms.

    The agreement, however, triggered outrage and numerous protests against Tsipras who came to power on an anti-austerity platform.

    Greece has already received two bailouts in 2010 and 2012, worth a total of EUR 240 billion from its creditors following the economic crisis which began in 2009.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    French Cops Claim They’re Too Tired to Keep Policing Massive Protests

    By Counter Current News Editorial Team June 23, 2016 5:57 pm



    Months of mass demonstrations and violence linked to the Euro 2016 football tournament have left French police begging for mercy. A heated combination of protests against controversial changes to France’s employment laws and outbreaks of violence by Russian and British football fans has taken its toll, leading a union leader to beg for a reprieve for French law enforcement.

    Protests opposing Francois Hollande’s proposals to relax France’s labour code began in March and have been called the largest and longest-lasting since the French Revolution.

    While the government argues the changes are crucial to lower unemployment, protesters claim they are bad for workers’ rights.

    Countrywide protests have included strikes and blockades of oil refineries and hundreds of fuel depots. Workers also downed tools at the state-owned rail company.

    On June 14, some masked protesters hurled paving slabs, smashed shop windows, and burned cars on the city streets. Despite relatively little mainstream media coverage of the mass protests, a series of violent images emerged showing police responding brutally with tear gas, batons, and water cannons.

    Around 60 people were arrested, and 29 police officers and 11 protesters were injured. Shortly after, workers’ unions and student organisations called for more street protests and strikes, on June 23 and June 28, to reject the new labour laws currently being debated in the Senate.

    Earlier this week, France’s main police union, Alliance, pleaded with workers to postpone Thursday’s planned day of demonstrations to give the police time to recover.

    “We’re asking for this demonstration to be postponed, along with any other static protests as are colleagues on all fronts are exhausted, worn out and tired,” Frederic Lagache, Alliance deputy secretary general said.

    Describing the protests as repetitive and very violent, he said the police are too exhausted to cope with them — especially on top of dealing with terrorism and violence linked to the hosting of Euro 2016.

    Despite the pleas for respite, the government gave the green light to the demonstrations — but only if they were confined to a small area of the city.

    At least 85 people were arrested in the capital as thousands took part in the largely peaceful protests. Union officials said 60,000 people attended the march, but police said the number was closer to 20,000.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Following the May 24th national strike in which all labour unions took part, Belgian socialist labour union returns to strike today, June 24th, in a nation-wide manifestation.


    (http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.en...News/1.2693576)

    Motivation:

    - unreasonable demands to work longer, harder and evermore flexible*;
    - decreasing purchasing power of families;
    - destruction of public services;
    - incessant government savings;
    - richer getting richer with support of government.


    (Slogan: No more stretch, out of patience)

    *Examples of hyperflexibility:
    - working weeks ranging from 45h to 50h depending on the employer;
    - less pay for overtime;
    - night shift starting hour move to 22:00;
    - flexijobs and interim contract of indefinite nature increasingly more rule than exception;
    - dependency on charity from a colleague to get sick leave if he or she wishes to replace you, rather than correct social provisions to which an employee be entitled;
    - stigmatisation of sick employees, fear of becoming sick and job coming under threat.

    And you will see from this list right here that in terms of strikes, 2015 and 2016 were probably deemed too extravagant to mention.

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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    French Police Arrest Some 80 People Amid Mass Rally Against Labour Bill

    Sputnik Tue, 28 Jun 2016 21:36 UTC




    © AFP 2016/ THOMAS SAMSON

    French police have arrested 81 people amid Tuesday's mass demonstration against a labour reform bill, local media reported Tuesday.


    MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, a mass rally took place at 14:00 p.m. local time (15:00 GMT), with hundreds of thousands protesters marching from Bastille to Place d'Italie. Between 64,000 and 200,000 people took part in the demonstration, Europe 1 media outlet said citing its sources in police. Some 2,500 police officers have been deployed to keep order.

    Earlier it was reported that some 30 people were detained by police, with 27 detained before the demonstration at inspection points through which all participants of the movements are checked.

    Later on Thursday, the upper house of the French parliament adopted a revised version of government’s controversial labor reform bill.

    In recent months, France has been hit by massive long-standing nationwide protests and sporadic strikes over a bill on the labor reforms, which seek to extend working hours, impose a cap on damages in cases of unfair dismissal as well as remove barriers to firing employees on economic grounds.


    Related:
    French Senate Passes Revised Version of Labor Law

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

    ... when one realizes that these labor law reforms are designed to "harmonize" with European legislations and other European countries' codes (Germany, particularly)... Frexit is not that far away...
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    We are approaching the UEFA finals. These demonstrations date from before, and have been ongoing. The whole world is looking at France and yet..

    What does the revision hold?

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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Quote Posted by Violet (here)
    [...]
    What does the revision hold?
    See this for some infos: Why have France's labour reforms proved so contentious?
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    France "Is On Verge Of Civil War" Security Chief Warns Feckless Hollande

    by Tyler Durden Jul 18, 2016 9:42 AM

    Just a week ago, French General Directorate for Internal Security Patrick Calvar told members of the French parliamentary commission that thanks to the increasing frequency of sexual assaults by islamic migrants, "Extremism is growing everywhere... We are on the brink of civil war." Now, in the wake of the Nice terror attacks that left 84 people dead with over 300 others wounded, Calvar is doubling down warning an increasingly questioned Hollande that an inevitable confrontation between the far right and Muslims looms, posing more of a threat than terrorism.



    As SputnikNews reports, French President Francois Hollande faces stern criticism for his feckless response to the growing wave of Islamic migrants and the horrors of terrorism that have followed in their wake leading not only to a resurgence of the far-right nationalism within the country, but also leading members of his own cabinet to question whether he is overseeing the descent of France into a bloody civil war.
    That was the warning provided by the nation’s top security official, Patrick Calvar, in the wake of the Nice terror attacks that left 84 people dead with over 300 others wounded when Tunisian born Daesh terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhel drove a 19-tonne cargo truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day – the country’s national holiday of independence and liberation marking the French Revolution.

    Yet, this is not the first time that Calvar has made this dreary projection for the future of France.

    Rather the security official has turned out to be quite prescient providing the same warning to the French parliament on July 12, 2015 – months after the Charlie Hebdo shooting, but long before horror descended upon the Bataclan Theater in Paris on November 13, 2015 and the city of Nice in the past week.
    The confrontation that he warned of was what he first called “intercommunity confrontations” which he later explained was a politically correct way of saying that the far-right is ramping up for a full-fledged “war against Muslims.”
    He cautioned that “one or two more terror attacks and we may well see a civil war.”
    Perhaps the people that Calvar has attempted in despair to jolt into action need look only as far as recent presidential polling which shows:
    the far-right Nationalist Front leader Marine Le Pen, daughter of the much more bombastic and bigoted Jean-Marie Le Pen, leading all presidential candidates by a healthy margin scoring 28% of the popular vote while former President Nicolas Sarkozy could only must 21% of the vote and the nearly helpless Francois Hollande received support from 14% of the electorate while boasting a historically bad 10% approval rating.
    Those results were long before terror once again visited the country – this time in France – but shows a growing resentment among the population for the open borders of the European Union’s Schengen agreement in addition to distrust of the unelected cabal that rules the country from Brussels, Belgium – the European Commission.

    As Sputnik concludes, perhaps Patrick Calvar’s warnings are too late – or perhaps they were never heard at all.

    As we noted previously, it is not just the French who are hitting the panic button:
    Mr Calvar's comments have come as the former MI6 boss Richard Dearlove also said that Europe faced a "populist uprising" if Governments do not take control of the migrant crisis.

    And security experts in Germany have also warned Chancellor Angela Merkel that the middle class was becoming increasingly radicalised because of her open borders migrant policy.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Clashes, tear gas in Paris as anti-labor reform protest turns violent

    RT
    Published time: 15 Sep, 2016 13:51
    Edited time: 15 Sep, 2016 15:53
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    © Ruptly

    People took to the streets across France on Thursday to once again protest the government’s controversial labor reforms. Violent clashes with police were reported in Paris and Nantes where tear gas was used.

    There was a heavy presence of riot police in the French capital where thousands marched against the legislation, which allows employers to hire and fire people more easily, as well as negotiate working times with their staff directly.

    Clashes broke out in Paris as groups of young protesters, who had their faces covered, provoked the police by throwing stones and flares. Law enforcement replied with batons and pepper spray.

    Five police officers and at least one protestor were injured in clashes in Paris, French broadcaster iTELE reported, adding that 10 people were detained.

    Earlier, security officials blocked all entrances and exits at the central Paris-Gare de Lyon train station to avoid an overflow of protestors.

    Tensions were also high in the western port of Nantes, where police reportedly used tear gas on the crowd.

    Videos posted online also show demonstrators being sprayed with several water hoses by security officials.

    Demonstrators also marched through the eastern city of Belfort where 400 are at risk of losing their jobs after train-maker Alstom announced it would close the local plant due to lack of orders.

    French airport workers also joined the walkout in protest over labor reform as the country’s civil aviation authority (DGAC) asked airlines operating out of Paris to cancel 15 percent of their flights on Thursday.

    According to the DGAC, the disruptions are expected to be felt all across France and elsewhere in Europe. EasyJet and Ryanair carriers have already announced the cancellation of around 140 flights.

    Protests against the labor reform continue despite the legislation having already been adopted by Parliament this summer.

    The number of demonstrators, however, has been decreasing since it peaked at hundreds of thousands back in March. The previous walkout against the labor reform in July saw just around 35,000 participants.

    However, the French regional trade unions CGT, FO, FSU, Solidaires, UNEF, UNL and FIDL, which called for the protest, expressed their eagerness to fight the government.

    “We will show them that, law or no law, we will always stand against them,” Francois Roche, a member of the CGT union demonstrating in Marseille, told AFP.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Police crowd Notre Dame square protesting France’s 11-month state of emergency (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

    RT
    Published time: 22 Oct, 2016 12:47
    Edited time: 22 Oct, 2016 15:12


    © RT

    Several hundred policemen took to the streets of France, from Paris to Bordeaux, for the fifth night in a row to complain about the unbearable working conditions and fatigue caused by an 11-month state of emergency, saying they're stretched to the limit.

    Policemen got together in front of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris singing La Marseillaise, the country's national anthem, while applauding every police siren passing nearby. The officers complain that they are not even well enough equipped to defend themselves and are calling for Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve's resignation, Le Parisien reported.

    "We're asked to do things that have nothing to do with police work, like guarding theaters and synagogues and churches. It's becoming unbearable; we can't do it all," Nathalie, a 12-year veteran of the police force who asked that her last name not be disclosed, told CBC.

    "If somebody dials 17 [France's 911], there aren't any cars around to respond. Misdemeanors, felonies... we don't have time for that anymore," another anonymous policeman said.

    Quote Previous Tweet Next Tweet

    Remy Buisine ‏@RemyBuisine 20h20 hours ago
    Rassemblement de plusieurs centaines de policiers devant Notre-Dame de PARIS ce vendredi soir. #ManifPolice





    Remy Buisine ‏@RemyBuisine 20h20 hours ago
    Les policiers partent en manifestation en direction de l'Hotel de Ville en chantant la Marseillaise ! #ManifPolice


    Remy Buisine Verified account ‏@RemyBuisine

    Forte mobilisation ce soir encore des policiers à PARIS. 5eme soir consécutif. #ManifPolice
    French police have been getting angrier since an officer was seriously injured in a Molotov cocktail attack in the suburbs of Paris on October 8, French broadcaster BVM said.

    Similar demonstrations attended by hundreds of policemen have taken place in Lille, Marseille, and Grenoble, to name just a few cities.

    "This movement is a minority, but there are still so many police in the streets, these are significant numbers who show up every night," Philippe Cavanac from the Unsa Police trade union told Radio Fidélité.


    France has been in a state of emergency since the November attacks in Paris, in which 130 people were killed and more than 350 injured. Thousands of police and soldiers have been deployed to boost security at train and bus stations, airports, and schools since the tragedy occurred.

    France's interior minister said in Lyon last week that the government has recruited 9,000 police staff since 2012, after a previous drop of 12,000 in the years under ex-president Sarkozy.

    On Friday, French President Francois Hollande finally promised to meet with police officers next week.

    Sarkozy said violent crime was not caused by insufficient police numbers, but rather the courts letting criminals off easy.

    "I understand the anger of the police... I've never seen such an erosion of authority in this country," he told Europe 1 Radio on Thursday.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    French Police warn no-go zones a reality despite PM's denial :


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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Quote Posted by Hervé (here)
    [...]

    ============================================

    Note: Hollande is at a short arm-length of being impeached and indicted for careless leaks of classified materials to the press... birds of a feather with Hillary, I guess...
    'Simply doesn't have right to rule': French MPs bid to impeach Hollande

    RT Fri, 11 Nov 2016 12:56 UTC


    © Christian Hartmann / Reuters

    Dozens of French politicians have sent a draft resolution calling for the impeachment of President Francois Hollande to the High Court, national media report. The MPs accuse the leader of disclosing confidential information to the press.

    "A copy of the draft resolution to the High Court was filed [by the members of the National Assembly]," the lower house of the French parliament, according to documents seen by AFP.

    The High Court is a special jurisdiction responsible for ruling on the impeachment of the president.

    The politicians referred to a 2014 legislation which states that a president can be removed from office if there is a "breach of their duties that is clearly incompatible with the exercise of their mandate."

    The letter was also reportedly sent to the National Assembly, which will deliver it to President Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

    The draft resolution included "79 original signatories" from Republican MPs, with others to be added later, according to the document. It said at least 152 Republicans supported the step.

    However, a parliamentary source told AFP that the court will only count the 79 submitted signatures.

    The resolution says it is based "on serious breaches of his [Hollande's] duties shown by the President of the Republic, in particular by clear violations of defense secrecy."

    "It [the resolution] expresses our deep conviction that a president must not, cannot and simply does not have a right to say anything in relation to his responsibilities as head of state and army chief," the document added.

    The document is the initiative of Pierre Lellouche, a member of Les Républicains (the Republicans) party.

    Among the politicians who signed the resolution are ex-Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who served in the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy. Fillon, however, said that the procedure is unlikely to be a success "because the majority of parliament is necessary" to demand impeachment. The National Assembly currently has 577 members.

    An additional impetus for politicians to proceed with the resolution was the release of a new book, 'A President Shouldn't Say That...', in October. It was written by journalists Gerard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme, who have met with Hollande 61 times since he became president. The book contains private conversations with the leader in which he made a number of controversial statements.

    In one of the meetings, Hollande reportedly said there is a "problem with Islam, no one doubts it." Referring to Muslim women, the French president said that "the veiled women of today will be the Marianne of tomorrow," referring to a statue which stands in the Place de la Republique in Paris and serves as a symbol of France, liberty, and reason. The French president went on to elaborate on what he meant - that Muslim women can fully integrate into France if they remove their headscarves and veils.

    Speaking on immigration - another hot topic in France - Hollande said in one of the cited public speeches that he believes there are "too many immigrant arrivals who should not be there."

    With elections looming next year, Hollande is in third place in the race to choose the next head of state, behind former Prime Minister Alain Juppe and Sarkozy. He has already been declared the most unpopular French president in history, according to numerous polls.

    An Ipsos poll from October this year showed that 70 percent of the population are "unsatisfied" with Hollande, while another 26 percent are "neither satisfied nor unsatisfied" - meaning just 4 percent of the population support the president.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    1,000s of Spaniards march against corporations & austerity (VIDEO)

    Published time: 4 Dec, 2016 11:14
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    © Ruptly

    Thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday in the latest Dignity March – a protest against the government’s austerity policies.

    Participants in Saturday evening’s demonstration walked about two kilometers from Plaza de España to Plaza de Neptuno carrying banners demanding that the government put an end to budget cuts and act independently from Brussels. They also accused their government of protecting the interests of big multinational corporations at the expense of the Spanish people.

    Organizers from the so-called 22M movement estimated that more than 8,000 people joined the rally, the EFE news agency reported.

    The 22M movement, whose name stands for March 22, the date of the first Dignity March in 2014, grew out of public disaffection with the rightist government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who came to power in 2011 and adopted a number of austerity measures.

    In the midst of an economic crisis and a series of demonstrations against the government’s policies, his cabinet pushed through the so-called ‘gag law’ in 2015, which imposes heavy fines for violating rules during public protests, cracks down on the use of social media to organize them, and introduced new punishments for disobeying police while participating.

    The ruling People’s Party has since lost its majority in the parliament and needs support of the opposition Socialist Party to enact policies.

    Saturday’s protest was held despite a government pledge to raise the country’s minimum wage by eight percent next year. The wage is to set to rise from €764.4 to €825.5 per month.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Italy divided as voters take part in key constitutional referendum on parliamentary powers

    Published time: 4 Dec, 2016 05:15
    Edited time: 4 Dec, 2016 11:21
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    Italians are having their say on slashing the powers of their upper house of parliament in a referendum proposed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The fate of the Senate has caused heated debate, as Renzi has pledged to quit if the ‘No’ camp wins.

    Today, voters are deciding on whether to approve a constitutional amendment put forth by the Italian prime minister that would see a break in the tradition of so-called “perfect bicameralism,” which has prevailed in Italy for decades. Under the 1948 Constitution, the Italian parliament is made up of a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. The institutions are equal in power, and all legislation must be adopted by both chambers to be passed, which has repeatedly caused political deadlock in Italy. The core of Renzi’s reform, first proposed two years ago, envisions cutting the Senate’s powers and reducing the number of its members from 315 to 100. Those remaining would be elected by regional assemblies, and not directly, as is currently the case.

    If the referendum passes, most bills would only need approval from the Chamber of Deputies to become law, with the exception of passing constitutional reforms or ratifying EU treaties. During the referendum drive, the prime minister argued that these measures would spare Italy from political gridlock and aid its economic growth. However, critics, including the opposition Five-Star Movement led by Beppe Grillo, fear that, if passed, the amendment will destroy political balance and give the government too much power.

    Renzi gambles on referendum
    The referendum has become critical for current Italian politics, as Renzi has pledged to step down if his opponents get the upper hand. “If the citizens vote ‘No’ and want a decrepit system that does not work, I will not be the one to deal with other parties for a caretaker government,” Renzi said in an interview with Rtl 102.5 radio, as quoted by Italian newspaper Repubblica. In that case, Italy may face a snap election amid growing support for the Euroskeptic Grillo party.

    Renzi’s proposals have caused quite a divide in the Italian population, resulting in pro- and anti-government rallies sprouting up across the country. One of the largest protests against the reform, which was staged by the right-wing Liga Nord party, took place in Florence on November 11, where some 12,000 people attended. Similar rallies, some of which resulted in clashes with police, have been seen in Rome, Palermo and other key cities.

    However, Matteo Renzi has not been short of supporters either, with numerous demonstrations backing his measure also filling the streets of Italian towns and cities.

    The mood remained divided on the eve of the referendum.

    “I will vote yes, a convinced yes, because it is a great opportunity to speed up the political time,” a woman named Laura told RT’s Ruptly news agency in Florence. Her opinion was echoed by another voter, who called the constitutional amendment a step towards a “better democracy.”

    However, supporters of the ‘No’ camp say that it is important “to keep the situation” as it is. Others say they see the referendum as an opportunity to get rid of Renzi.

    “I am voting no, simply because it is a protest vote against the government of Renzi,” a man named Giovanni said.

    On the contrary, many Western media outlets have warned of the dire consequences of the referendum, with many saying it could lead to the end of the eurozone. The Independent went with the headline: “The Italian referendum result could be the beginning of the end for the Eurozone.”

    CNN echoed the thought, saying that Italy’s referendum vote is a “nightmare scenario” in the heart of Europe, which may lead to the country exiting the EU.

    Matteo Renzi is known for criticizing the EU’s austerity policies, particularly those advocated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He has also urged the European Union to develop a closer dialogue with Russia and stood up against imposing further sanctions on Moscow over its backing of the Syrian government’s operation against terrorists and rebel militants in Aleppo.

    It is critical that Italy says ‘No,’ believes Cristian Invernizzi from the Lega Nord political party.

    “Let’s think about the outgoing US Ambassador, let’s think about Europe, let’s think about the OSCE, let’s think about the big international investment banks. Why do they all side with ‘Yes? Because they all want to keep having an Italy submitted under this international order that cannot decide its own future,” he told RT. “We have to say ‘No' just to have the opportunity to speak on the Constitution and guarantee to the citizens their own rights, that means their sovereignty.”

    However, Pierferdinando Casini, chairman of the Italian Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, believes that a ‘No’ victory “would be a lost opportunity.”

    “It would mean going backwards, it would mean to defeat all that has been done in this country over this last year by Renzi’s government leap and, first of all, at President Napolitano’s impulse. Afterwards we are not leaving Europe, we are not leaving the euro, but this is cold comfort, because the whole world is asking if Italy is able to change, and I wish I could say for my country ‘Yes, we’ve been able to change,’” he said.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Fourth night of violence in Paris suburbs amid allegations of police rape and brutality


    Rueters Wed, 08 Feb 2017 17:00 UTC



    Rioters burned cars in the Paris suburb amid simmering anger over the alleged rape of a local man during his arrest last week © Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP/Getty Images

    Violence spread in Paris's northern suburbs for a fourth night and French police arrested a dozen people, police said on Wednesday, amid accusations that police officers raped and beat a man they were detaining.

    Dozens of vehicles and a nursery school were set on fire by youths during standoffs with police in an area of Paris where riots in 2005 drew global attention to the stark contrast between wealthy Paris and the suburbs that surround it.

    As well as damaging the nursery school and a car sales outlet, youths had also used a shopping trolley full of petrol bombs, police said.

    The trouble began in Aulnay-sous-Bois on Feb. 2 where four police officers were accused of using excessive force while arresting a 22-year-old man, including raping him with a baton.

    "For the moment we're talking of very violent but isolated standoffs," said Luc Poignant from the SGP police union.

    While much more limited than 12 years ago, the unrest served as a reminder of the simmering tensions in neighborhoods with higher-than-average unemployment and big immigrant populations, as France prepares to elect a new president this year.

    The jobless rate in Aulnay-sous-Bois is nearly twice the national average of 10 percent.

    "Sadly these neighborhoods have been turned into ghettos," said police representative Yves Lefebvre, who said that police were not sufficiently trained or equipped to deal with the problems in the sprawling suburbs where drug dealing is rife.

    The four police officers have been suspended pending an inquiry and one has been placed under formal investigation for suspected rape and three others for unnecessary violence.

    The victim, a young black man, has himself called for calm, and he and his family say they trust the justice system will deal properly with the affair.

    President Francois Hollande visited the man on Tuesday at the Aulnay hospital.

    Police said the skirmishes on Tuesday night were mainly in towns around Aulnay-sous-Bois, which itself was relatively calm.

    The unrest is playing out against a backdrop of growing political uncertainty in France, with support growing for far-right leader Marine Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon hit by accusations his wife was paid by the state for a fake job.

    The 2005 riots, in which 10,000 cars and 300 buildings were set on fire, prompted then interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, to declare a state of emergency.

    Political opponents say Sarkozy made matters worse when, as president from 2007 to 2012, he scrapped specialized local police teams and cut police staffing by 10,000.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Clashes in Paris as protests against police brutality continue (VIDEO)

    RT
    Published time: 15 Feb, 2017 18:20
    Edited time: 15 Feb, 2017 19:01
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    © / Ruptly

    Clashes have erupted in Paris as hundreds of people have once again taken to the streets to protest police brutality. Police used tear gas against the demonstrators.

    The protesters once again gathered to express their support for a young black man known as Theo L., who was allegedly raped by police officers on February 2. This incident has already sparked a series of violent protests in Paris and its surrounding suburbs.

    [video at link]

    The demonstration is taking place at the Barbes Boulevard in the northern part of the city. It has already been marked by violence as police used tear gas to stop the crowd which tried to break through police cordons.

    The protesters began smashing windows of nearby buildings and forced police to intervene. Demonstrators also hurled projectiles at police officers and set fire to trash cans.

    The protesters are chanting "no justice, no peace" and "cops are rapists and murders!" They are also singing "everyone hates the police," according to the French Express newspaper.

    During previous protests which started two weeks ago, demonstrators used fireworks, burned cars, and shattered shop windows. After several nights of unrest in the suburbs, angry protests shifted to central Paris.

    About 254 people have been arrested since the protests flared up on February 4, the Express reports.

    Theo himself has urged French youths not to resort to violence.

    One of the police officers was charged with rape and three others with aggravated assault. The case is currently under investigation.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    Nephew of killed Chinese man says 'French police arrived, broke door and pulled trigger'

    RT
    Thu, 30 Mar 2017 08:09 UTC


    A man hold a Chinese flag during a protest in front of the police headquarters in the 19th arrondissement of Paris on March 28, 2017 © Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt / AFP

    Paris' Asian community is demanding an explanation for the unjustified brutality it has been subject to at the hands of French police, as well as the truth about why officers recently killed a Chinese man in France's capital, the victim's nephew said.

    "You have the violence of the police that strikes our Asian community. I have no idea about the reason, but we are here to demand an explanation," Lulu Zheng, the nephew of Shaoyo Liu, who was shot dead by police on Sunday, told RT's Ruptly news video agency on Tuesday.

    The officers were called to Shaoyo Liu's home on Sunday following a family argument and eventually ended up killing the Chinese father of five.

    The police said the 56-year-old attacked the officers with a pair of scissors.

    The victim's family refutes this explanation, however, saying he was using the scissors to cut the fish he was cooking.

    "We want the truth. [We want to find out] why a policeman comes into someone's home, breaks the door, and pulls the trigger," Zheng said in perfect French.

    News of the incident led to two days of violent protests against police brutality in Paris' 19th arrondissement, which saw hundreds of members of the Asian community participating.

    Police used teargas to break up the crowd during the riots, which resulted in dozens of arrests and injuries to several officers.

    French police officer Eddy Sid told Ruptly that using "legitimate violence" to stop the Chinese man was "sadly the only option."

    "He (Liu) had psychological problems. He rushed against the police and tried to attack them with large scissors," he explained.

    According to the policeman, Liu tried to stab an officer three times before his colleagues opened fire.

    During his interview, the officer was interrupted by a woman, who said that the police's new self-defense law was "a killing permit."

    "I'm outraged to have this situation in France... We are equal citizens: Chinese, Arabs, Jews, Muslims," she said.

    While the woman doubted that Liu had been aggressive, she pointed out that, even if they really had been acting in self-defense, "police had other weapons: a taser, other things."

    "I say that we must purge the police; we must clean the police. It has degenerated. I can understand the fact of burning cars; we have to understand our cause too," she stressed.

    The French Parliament passed a law in February relaxing self-defense restraints on police officers, who are now allowed to use weapons when "armed persons threaten their lives or their physical integrity or those of others."

    Another Chinese woman told Ruptly that if "a policeman was wounded by a poor man with scissors... the policeman must appear in the press and make explanations."

    She also blamed police for "not paying attention" to the problems of the Chinese community in Paris, which "is being watched by thugs."

    The French capital saw another wave of protests against police brutality in February after an officer was charged with raping and abusing a young black man.
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    HELP! French farmer mows ‘message of despair’ in wheat field

    RT
    Published time: 14 Apr, 2017 11:47
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    © Guillaume Souvant / AFP

    A French farmer has mown the giant letters HELP into his wheat field, hoping presidential candidates will handle the agricultural sector crisis. He says the authorities are “deaf” to farmers’ anger, but hopes they won't be blind to his “message of despair.”

    “Political leaders do not listen to us,” Jacques Fortin from Athée-sur-Cher commune in central France told AFP. “They're deaf to our anger. I hope they're not blind and will read this message of despair.”

    The 63-year-old farmer says that he now lives in the world where he has “the responsibilities of a chief executive,” but lives “below the poverty threshold.”


    French farmer Jacques Fortin © Guillaume Souvant / AFP

    “It's not normal to live with €350 [US$372] a month when you work every day... Some break down. Others commit suicide,” he added. The national poverty threshold in France is €800 per month.

    Thus, he has mown a huge message to the authorities – the letters HELP which measure 100 meters long by 48 meters wide in his 5-hectare wheat field. The message comes days before the first round of presidential elections that will take place April 23.

    “When they pass overhead, airliners start to descend to Orly [international airport in the south of Paris]. Passengers can see my SOS,” said Fortin, adding that the message is a “collective SOS", expressed on behalf of all farmers.

    Quote

    RT‏Verified account @RT_com

    'Shame on you, you are lazy': Angry farmers boo #Hollande at agricultural fair (VIDEO) http://on.rt.com/75lo

    3:01 PM - 28 Feb 2016
    “We have had successive years of bad weather conditions in the past four years. Farmers are at the end of their rope. They are fed up,” he said.

    In 2016, the French government admitted that some 40,000 farms were in a “situation of extreme urgency.”

    Farmers have repeatedly staged protests, calling upon the government to improve conditions in the agricultural sector. In March, some 20 farmers drove their tractors to a meeting with presidential candidate Francois Fillon.

    “We need support and proposals from the candidates, because so far we haven't had much of either,” dairy farmer Julien Hindre told AFP at the time.

    In January, French farmers joined a mass protest in Brussels and sprayed a ton of powdered milk at the build of the European Union Council in the EU capital.

    Numerous farmers’ protests rocked the country in 2014-2016, decrying low prices of agricultural products. The prices were driven down in part by the 2014 Russian import embargo, which caused the domestic products flood the national market.

    Some of the demonstrations turned violent with protesters burning tires, blocking roads and dumping tons of manure at government buildings.


    Related:

    Merde! Protesting French farmers dump tons of manure at govt buildings (VIDEO)
    ‘You’re killing us’: French farmers dump manure, block roads to protest low meat & milk prices
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    Default Re: Ça Chauffe! - Turmoil in France

    pas de protestations pour le demantelenent de l'OTAN?

    arent europeans fed up with NATO yet?
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