FRANCE: student movement // social movement
student movement against the LRU law (privatization of the university)
Charles 22 Nov 2007 01:56 GMT (translated by Charles)In France, a new law has been voted this summer when the university community was in vacation. This law, in relation to freedoms and responsibilities of universities is in fact a way to privatize them, to change their functioning and therefore disengaged the state..
Since few weeks already, general assemblies for informing and mobilizing students have been formed, gathering more than 2000 students sometime. Strikes, freeze and occupations are present in around 30 universities (~40% of French universities).
National coordinations have gathered several dozens of students coming from all over France. (Toulouse 27-28 of October, Rennes 10-11 of November and Tours, November 7-18). These national coordinations appeal to cancel the law, to defend pensions and to amnesty convicts from the past social movements.
This actual social movement is a test for the new president (Sarkozy) recently elected. If he wins, France will fast become a leader in the wild capitalist system; BUT if ground people resist and win, France will go on with its tradition of social movements and ground resistance.
If the convergence of struggles (pensions, students, lawyers, state employed people) is created that can lead to calling into question the entire system!
More information on local web (in French, sorry; but you can still watch pictures and movies): [ Lille | Nantes | Paris | Grenoble | Auvergne | Toulouse | Marseille | Lyon | Rennes ] and Accueil
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other updated page
ttx 23.Nov.2007 08:51
with texts (french) photos & videos
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/FrancophoneMouvementLRU
contre loi LRU
antoine nicoud 23.Nov.2007 14:20
Bonjour à toutes et à tous,
nicoud.antoine@gmail.com
J'ai créé un site, afin d'informer les personnes désireuses de l'être, à propos de la loi Pécresse. Pour ce faire, j'étudie avec beaucoup de sérieux le Code de l'Education et la loi LRU, ce qui demande un certain investissement. Ce site n'a aucune prétention, et je n'en ai pas non plus, mais je pense que l'information est primordiale dans le contexte actuel, pour comprendre le mouvement étudiant. Je m'adresse donc à vous, dans l'espoir que vous puissiez transmettre l'adresse du site, le faire connaître, ou tout du moins, aller jeter un coup d'oeil: www.contrelru.skyblog.com
Merci
A. Nicoud
The anti-Pécresse law struggles: perspective of an English student in France
Michael P 29.Nov.2007 00:36
It is going to die, in my opinion. I say this regretfully, for what has happened so far is truly lamentable. Majority national student union UNEF walked out of the National Co-Ordination meeting at Toulouse IV this weekend, effectively splitting the movement in half. Across the country the decision to occupy the facultés has been taken too hastily without build-up of other actions to sensitive students and other members of the population, with the result that the most radical means of battling the government is already exhausted and a grand opposition composed of uninformed and annoyed students has formed.
I wasn't there for the CPE struggles two years ago, but I think that too many people see it in exactly the same terms as that and so their response is therefore identical. Basically the fuse has been lit too quickly and the explosive failed to detonate.
There is confusion over why we oppose the Pécresse Law, but most disheartening for me is the complete lack of any alternative proposal. French universities are in dire need of reform, and whilst I am vehemently opposed to the market reforms being imposed by a government which aims to tear apart the basis of the social republic, I hear no voices on the left which are saying anything new or different. There is simply too much reactionary rhetoric on our part, without progressive discussion.
The convergence of struggles is a sticking point. The train drivers are (mostly) back to work after a 9/10 day strike. As a student, it is very easy to speak of revolutionary ideals and struggles, but when the stakes are far less dramatic for us - losing a year of study pales in comparison to not being able to afford the rent and food - it is only natural that there is little convergence.
Where I am there has been confusion regarding co-ordination with the other professions being attacked. There appears to have been little or no communication with the unions of teaching and non-teaching staff at the University, and when there is, is seems to be largely through the framework of members of the Young Communists (branch of the Communist Party). They are possibly the people who we need on our side the most.
I am not criticising the Communists uniquely. Other groups, such as autonomous anarchists (not to be confused with syndicalists) have, whether consciously or not, co-opted the movement and used it far too much as a base for their own political projects. This was put to an abrupt and acrimonious end when, before our blocage died a paltry death, an collective General Meeting packed with members of the Communists and UNEF voted to effectively kick this group of anarchists out of our movement. There were people there who I had never seen involved in any of the actions, whilst the autonomes had expanded a lot of time and energy and materials in helping us.
Anyway that is another story completely.
But for the moment there is an enthousiastic and energetique group of us who are concentrating on alternative actions to try and raise consciousness of the law and increase the magnitude of the moment.
So we will see.