A Weekend of Protest

COUNTERPROTESTS IN PARIS: InstaPundit reader Kerry Hardy emails:

“Libérte-Chérie, SOS Education, and a number of other groups organised an "anti-blocade/anti-strike" demonstration today here in Paris in response to the violent anti-reform protests that have been taking place at the Sorbonne and elsewhere. Despite the temperature (around 36 degrees) and the hour (2pm), there were still several thousand people. And there will be a new demonstration on Sunday afternoon. There are people in France who are pro-reform, who want to study, who want to work, and who are sick of being stopped from doing so by those who don't---and who understand that labour law reform is essential to job creation. Great ambiance, young and old, lots of leaflet distribution to correct the misunderstandings about the CPE (Contract of First Employment)”.

Pics:




And This photo



was accompanied by the following on Sky:

“Youths smash home their point as riots erupt on the streets of the French capital against a new law they say gives them even less job security than they have now”

Do we all honestly believe that these guys are on the hunt for employment & just ‘really angrily making their point’ at reform? Hardly. They are nothing more than a bunch of shit stirring idiots out for bit of random destruction. Of course they are far more newsworthy for the same reason, so the media portrays this as ‘French student anger boiling over’. “Hmm I need job security in the future so ill just smash this car windscreen with a hockey stick on national tv”. The MSM lend weight to the opposers campaign, inspire the violent protestors, as they did last November, and it all becomes a self fulfilling prophecy with Villepin fighting his corner. A bit like civil war in Iraq.

This piece of radical legislation is seeking to overturn centuries of old fashioned thinking so of course it will be met with resistance. But its great to see it attempted and its great to see several thousand young people supporting it even with no media to support them. Im expecting the same for us tomorrow at the March here in London eg bugger all media interest.

It was also great fun to read of a French business leader who stood up to his President by presenting in English at the EU Summit. Mr Seilliere, the French president of the employers' association UNICE, said he would address the meeting in English. He defended his position to a shocked Chirac saying that English was the working language of that particular session and the accepted business language of Europe today. Chirac, true to form, threw strop, walked out. You would have been hard pushed to find a Seilliere at the height of the ancient regime years ago though.

French Pride Tested at EU Summit

I work with people like Seilliere and smart young French people like those above daily. I say we offer support to those students and business leaders- instead of languishing in the messy change going on and seeking to frankly perpetuate the crappy image because it suits us – and specifically because a few of their exalted ancient regime leaders chose not to join in in Iraq. I know I wont get many brownie points for saying so but you know…lets move on.

Equally instead of brow beating the UK id feel far more reassured that we were all on board and tackling this Islamic fascism together as One United West.

One of those arrested in the much highlighted 'British bomb conspiracy' case was an American citizen who inspired by 9/11 duly trotted off to Pakistan, met and then joined up with his ‘brothers’ out there and THEN came back to the UK to plot a hideous attack on places like Bluewater shopping centre and a major nightclub in central London. A quick nip over to Little Green Footballs reveals that in their rush to the usual pejorative 'look at em poor Brits' that relevant bit seems to have escaped their attention. He has links to radical muslim groups based in New York where like minded muslims gathered to plot (links to follow).So how many more of him are there in the US?

To me its all been ratcheted up a notch (again) and is a whole lot scarier (again). Im at least relieved and grateful to our security services here for their incredible efforts in stopping that group. Which also seems to have slipped by unnoticed.


Good Luck to everyone at the March for Free Expression tomorrow and good luck to SOS Education France on Sunday.

(Disclaimer: author somewhat tired, drained even. Reserves the right to regret and/or flip flop on the French later)

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