France. Traditions of revolution.

French youth and workers on the march.

It looks like the magnificent strike movement in France to defend the pension age might be slightly weakening. If so this will be a setback to workers internationally. But from afar I am not confident to say this for sure. However whether this is the case or not these enormous struggles mark a new period in France in another way. They have moved a new generation of students and youth and workers into action and inspired them with the idea of struggle.

Students demonstrated in Paris earlier this week with the banner: " No, no to your bogus reform, yes yes to revolution." Not much ambiguity there. One student said that in her experience "student assemblies were increasingly being fed by an outcry that's growing more and more generalized against tons of problems in society," and that "this movement against the pension reforms allows us to express that discontent, too." This student said she would continue to protest, referring to a previous government's backing down to student pressure in 2006 to abandon a law on youth unemployment she said that "showed that everything a government does, the street can undo." What a true statement. In this consciousness lies the seeds of great struggles ahead.

Another student said: "people infantilize us, but we are old enough to have a political consciousness. We must conserve the welfare state. In France we talk a lot about national identity. Well this is the French national identity: it's the struggle, it's resistance, and right now it's not a big joke for young people."

Full support for the French workers and youth.

Sean.