This weekend marked the 4th weekend of mass militant protest that currently has a firm grip on France. Since the eruption of what came to be known as the “Yellow Jacket” Movement with its initial mobilisation for the 17th of November the French proletariat has heroically continued to fight for its interests and withstood the attacks of the repression forces.
This weekend saw a police mobilisation unseen before, with 89.000 troops deployed all over the country. The French people, however, continued with their protest and, despite the deployment of 8.000 police in Paris alone, created damage even greater than on the remarkable 1st of December.
What makes these struggles as of now outstanding, is that no revisionist, trade-union or social-democratic party as of yet was able to claim leadership of the movement and to redirect the struggle in a path more suitable for the ruling class. Not without reason is the french government since Day 1 complaining about the nonexistence of any “dialog partner” to make some kind of deal with, while meanwhile bourgeois and revisionist sources spread rumors about the supposed fascist leadership of the struggle — with the goal of driving the people into the arms of the well oiled machine of the social-democracy.
But the angry masses now turning up on the streets in numbers — broad sections of the proletariat, the population of the banlieus, the youth, etc. — are not so easily fooled or calmed down as the reaction has certainly hoped for. Despite Macron having to publicly take back the proposal for the increase in fuel tax (even though he said that this would never happen) the protests continue with full force.
What else is this struggle than a very clear sign, that imperialism is not everlasting as preached to us so often by the bourgeoisie, but in fact circling towards his total destruction in ever faster cycles? France is a strong imperialist country, still maintaining colonies, with martial law made permanent, armed forced patrolling the street and a bloody history of repression against its people. And still the masses fight! Relentlessly and over a prolonged period, risking their health and their freedom (this weekend alone, there have been 1700 arrests and 1220 detentions), giving us a glimpse, why they are the true makers of history.
