Marc -- when people are feeling economically insecure (and who isn't), the tone is always edgier. And the financial crisis isn't confined to the U.S. The EU is having its own very serious problems. Thank you for the update and the website.

Sorry to be a little slow in getting these pictures up on the web. If anyone's interested, I shot some pictures as the march in support of the strike Thursday (the 19th) passed through the Place de la Bastille. They're up on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27444476@N03/sets/72157615627009729/

As the newspaper Libération said, "The weather has already chosen sides." It was sunny and warm all over France. As spectacle, the march was nothing but charming. But the content seemed more serious, and the marchers, for all their high spirits, more anxious.

The previous (January) general strike's slogan seemed to indicate a triumph of the more romantic soft-liners: "Rêve générale" (general dream) instead of "Grève générale" (general strike). But Thursday's slogan was much edgier. It was Sarkozy's comment from last year's agricultural salon to the guy who said, when Sarko was working the crowd and extended his hand to be shaked, "Don't touch me." Sarko replied, without an instant's hesitation: "Casse toi, pauv' con"--"Bugger off, you sorry a**hole." People are manifestly feeling the strain much more.

Al - At this moment, we're expecting a general strike. Trains, public transport, perhaps airlines, etc. Let's hope things change ... and they may.

I read in a recent posting that a strike is scheduled for March 19th in Paris. Anybody know what this covers?...the usual Metro and buses?? Might be around these parts then and wondering if it is scheduled to be more extensive.Will be staying around St.Germain so would not be a problem if just the Metro.

I remember many many years ago in a general strike (or was it just "garçons") and the only place to eat was in Mom and Pop eateries done family style. If one found a place it was adventurous ....there were no choices and wine was on the table.

Another indication that press coverage was not aiding and abetting the demo is that the very few moments of disorder and confrontation came late in the day and at the end of the route, after the cameras had for the most part gone home.

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Marc: I am delighted to hear that. There was a former demonstration where the public was playing to the cameras. CNN and BBC looped and looped the footage. K

Now, now, Karen. Don't be so cynical. The marchers were depending on there being some coverage, sure. After all, as a fair number of signs pointed out, the strike was partly in response to Sarkozy's remark that "If they called a general strike in France, no one would notice." "T'aperçois-tu maintenant, Sarko?" the signs read. But these marchers were out to make their statement about the precariousness of employment no matter how many or few the cameras were.

Another indication that press coverage was not aiding and abetting the demo is that the very few moments of disorder and confrontation came late in the day and at the end of the route, after the cameras had for the most part gone home.

Marc

Marc -- my "always" question ....
If the TV camera hadn't been rolling, do you think the manif would have lasted as long? Sometimes I feel as if the press exacerbates things. OPPPPS!

Hi Ellen,

There were at least as many onlookers as marchers in the section I could see (near the start at the Place de la Bastille). The onlookers were in a good mood, as were the marchers, for a number of reasons, I think.

First, the strikers started out with apparently pretty wide support (near 70%, if I'm not mistaken), since the French are worried about employment security too. Second, it's important to make a distinction between the "general" strike and this huge demonstration. The strike itself was rather less successful than the unions had hoped--only about a third of transit workers honored the strike. Paradoxically, that made the strike more popular: it didn't inconvenience most people very much. And so people turned up to watch the demonstration in rather better moods than might have been expected.

Third, there was a fine turnout for the march, so the unions and other demonstration organizers were happy with that. Fourth, it was a sunny afternoon. There were indeed food carts along the route, as Karen predicted. Even many of the organizations in the march had vans in the march selling food out their back doors. At one point, I heard someone talking to a friend: "Oh, you should check out that van. They're selling nothing but rum." And that was true.

One thing that struck me about the onlookers was the wide range of ages represented, from high-school kids egging on friends of theirs who were in the march to self-identified retirees with homemade signs for the marchers to read as they passed by with their own signs. It was, I think, a very representative crowd.

Marc

Loved the photos, Marc. Were there many onlookers? I'm assuming - although I don't know - that the general population is sympathetic with the strike?

Marc - thanks for the photos. I decided to sit out this manif since I was cold (:

So many of the ones in good weather assume more of a festival feeling - complete with people pushing carts selling food and drinks. Not that I am discounting what the French are protesting. The issues are very real.

I agree that getting around was much easier than expected--unless you were trying to get around near the Place de la Bastille or any of the streets running to it. All of these were jammed. I'd say the manif was the largest I've seen in Paris. Loud, lots of posters sarcastic to M. Sarkozy, but well b behaved and very good humored. There were even a few signs using quotations from Barack Obama. I put a few pictures up on flickr if anyone's interested. The link is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27444476@N03/sets/72157613137712676/

For general information about strikes, in addition to the sites Stacy and Karen have mentioned, you can also try:

http://fr.fc.yahoo.com/g/greve.html

Marc

Were you in France yesterday?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/world/europe/30france.html

Ironically, for people who were already in Paris, life was very much as usual except emptier. Buses were running and there were taxis. There were plenty of shoppers taking advantage of the sales.

What did you experience??

Stacy -- thank you. I tried www.greves.fr and com

now they've changed the site to org

Looking forward to Jan 29th. I already know what I will be doing and it won't include leaving home!!

http://www.greves.org/
Gives links to check the status of various transport systems

Info on SNCF trains in the Ile de France:
http://www.abcdtrains.com/
(an "official" site but not always reliably updated)

Info on RATP transport (RER, metro, buses, tram):
http://www.ratp.info/orienter/trafic.php

There's an RER strike going on today affecting the RER B between CDG and Gare du Nord, among other trains.

A national strike is being called for January 29, 2009.

There used to be a site that listed all of the strikes in France. I haven't been able to locate it which is probably an indication of my surfing ability.

Here's an article that was published last month. It's not much but ....
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/wave-of-strikes-hits-france-1021816.html

Well, I try to keep my ear to the ground (not a comfortable position, let me tell you!), but I haven't heard about anything lately. Then again, I haven't had much time to keep up with the news. Hopefully with the holidays and school vacations coming up, we'll get a break until next year.

Stacy ... by now there should be more strikes planned. how about an update??

With autumn comes strike season... sigh.

This month:
- SNCF strike November 5-7
- A call for a national general strike on November 10 ("renewable", not for a defined period of time)
- A Vélib workers strike yesterday
- A teachers strike November 20
- An Air France flight crews strike November 4-8