French Uprising of December 2018

[Heaven Swan]

Might be time to brush up on history.



The French Revolution in a nutshell

[Jerky]

Yes.

And GamerGate was about ethics in game journalism.

I would balance my diet of Yellow Jacket information with a few more critical takes before allowing myself to get TOO inspired, HS.

Also, I personally don't think 'rule by constant referenda' is a goal worth striving for, as true democracy does NOT entail absolute majority rule over all minority groups and/or individuals. That's more of a recipe for a hard right populist bully-ocracy.

YOPJ

[Sounder]

One is bound to wonder just what 'Yellow Vest information' it is that you take issue with, Jerky


As my son in law commented this weekend; I don't know, I hope people running things know what they are doing because the last time the peasants came to Paris things did not turn out so well, (for those running things.)

[Grizzly]

s]Koch[/s] radio NPR aka National Propagenda radio, just said there were "counter demonstrations of red scarves. Whatever the fuck that means they didn't bother to explain. Or maybe I turned that shit off ...

[Heaven Swan]

Gilets jaunes leader hit in eye during protest 'will be disabled for life'

Jérôme Rodrigues’s lawyer says he was injured by ‘flash-ball’ riot police weapon

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/ ... d-for-life
Kim Willsher in Paris
Sun 27 Jan 2019 10.14 EST Last modified on Sun 27 Jan 2019 18.26 EST


A gilets jaunes (yellow vests) demonstrator injured in the eye at a demonstration in Paris will be disabled for life, his lawyer has said.

Jérôme Rodrigues, a high-profile member of the protest movement, claims he was struck by a “flash-ball”, a launcher used by French riot police to fire large rubber pellets. They have been blamed for dozens of injuries, some serious, including the loss of an eye.

Investigators are looking into the incident after police reportedly insisted Rodrigues’s injuries were caused by a crowd-control grenade that exploded near him, a version of events his lawyer “categorically” denied.


Who are the gilets jaunes and what do they want?
Read more
Rodrigues was injured at Place de la Bastille on Saturday afternoon, during an 11th weekend of demonstrations by the gilets jaunes in Paris. Witnesses said the police used flash-balls, “sting-ball” crowd dispersal grenades and tear gas while protesters calling for the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to resign threw projectiles at them

There have been calls for French police to be banned from using the flash-ball launchers, and last week the interior minister, Christophe Castaner, ordered officers carrying them to wear body cameras.

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Witnesses were reported to have picked up the projectile that struck Rodrigues and handed it to investigators. Internal police investigators have launched an inquiry, as has the Paris prosecutor. More than 80 similar inquiries have been launched following serious injuries or legal complaints during gilets jaunes protests.

Rodrigues’s lawyer, Philippe de Veulle, told BFM television: “He will be disabled for life. It’s a tragedy for him and his family.” De Veulle said he was lodging a complaint against police for “voluntary violence by a person of public authority” because Rodrigues was allegedly struck with one of the 40mm hard rubber projectiles.

On Sunday, Rodrigues, conscious and speaking to LCI television from hospital, said he was also hit by a sting-ball grenade, another controversial riot control tool used to disperse crowds.

“Everything happened very quickly. They threw a grenade at me and I took a [rubber] bullet. I was attacked twice – a grenade to the foot and the bullet,” he said. He accused police of carrying out “all the violence the rules permit”. “I’m going to take legal action against Mr Macron, Mr Castaner and against the police officer who shot at me … I remain firmly pacifist whatever happens.”

‘Red Scarfs’ demonstration in Paris on Sunday.

A “yellow night” event, organised by protesters at Place de la République in central Paris on Saturday evening, was broken up by police who used tear gas and water cannon.

The gilets jaunes movement started last November in protest over a proposed eco-tax on fuel, but has since grown to embody a wider expression of grievances against Macron and his centrist administration. It is named after the hi-vis vests French motorists must carry in their vehicles, and which the protesters wear.

The interior ministry estimated 69,000 people turned out for “act 11” of the protests across France on Saturday, compared with 84,000 the previous week. Protesters have not provided their own figures. Last week, a leading member of the movement, which has no official leaders or organisation behind it, announced it would field 79 candidates in May’s European parliament elections.

On Sunday, an anti-gilets jaunes event was organised to “defend democracy and (republican) institutions” in Paris. The marchers, calling themselves the “red scarves”, chanted “on a rien cassé” (we’ve not smashed anything). Others shouted “Yes to democracy, no to revolution” as they waved French and European Union flags. They said they were demonstrating against the violence at recent gilets jaunes protests, including attacks on politicians and journalists.

Laurent Soulie, an organiser of the march, said the protesters responded to a call to the “silent majority who have remained holed up at home for 10 weeks.”

Police estimated that despite the rain about 10,500 people turned out. The previous day, 4,000 gilets jaunes protested in Paris, police estimated.

[Heaven Swan]

Yes.

And GamerGate was about ethics in game journalism.

I would balance my diet of Yellow Jacket information with a few more critical takes before allowing myself to get TOO inspired, HS.

Also, I personally don't think 'rule by constant referenda' is a goal worth striving for, as true democracy does NOT entail absolute majority rule over all minority groups and/or individuals. That's more of a recipe for a hard right populist bully-ocracy.

YOPJ

Thanks for your comment Jerky.

I have to ask though, what have you been drinking, neoliberal kool-aid?
What’s there not to like about the Yellow Vests finally saying “enough is enough” and standing up to the Goldman Sacks gang?

The French showed the world how it’s done in the late 1700’s, then kicked off the rebellions of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Yea, I’ve been irritated by the French in the past, but it’s time to leave behind petty squabbles and appreciate their courage and resolve. Hats off to them!

[Elvis]

I have to ask though, what have you been drinking, neoliberal kool-aid?

That would explain a lot.

[JackRiddler]

I have to ask though, what have you been drinking, neoliberal kool-aid?
What’s there not to like about the Yellow Vests finally saying “enough is enough” and standing up to the Goldman Sacks gang?

One hopes they think of it as anti-capitalist, since "standing up to the Goldman Sachs gang" would be a limited and vague view that even Donald Trump's winning campaign commercial pretended to endorse.

For starters, they are not necessarily framing it that way, or identifying Goldman Sachs (note spelling) as their primary foe. One should try to be minimal about projecting one's own preferred rhetorical devices. It's better when we look at what they are saying, as you also did above.

From that and other statements I've seen, I think there is little doubt most would agree they are opposing the neoliberal extremism of the bourgeois Macron government. No doubt "corruption" is a big theme, but that is also one that can mean different things. It seems as in other countries that many just hate the whole political class without caring for distinctions, which has been in the past directed at scapegoats without a systemic approach and is prone to veer into reaction and get recuperated for all kinds of misdirected approaches.

I hope it's true to say they are very much aware of this as a class struggle. It seems to be about working class and ruling class, the owners and their political agents.

.

[Heaven Swan]

Thanks Jack

The Yellow Vest video led me down a rabbit hole of watching and reading European info and it seems to me that they are quite clear on the role of banksters (and others) in their current predicament (their countries being drained of jobs and resources so they can’t get by anymore), i.e the wealth shifting to the top.

Don’t take my word for it though. I just discovered that any YouTube video has the option to enable translated captions in English and other languages. To enable English captions click on the gear icon in the lower right hand corner> Keep clicking till you get to “auto-translate’and a drop-down menu of languages will appear.

I’ll repost the video with the captions turned on but if that doesn’t work you can do it yourself.

Check out the beginning, especially the 2nd talk by Fabio Frate of “Programma 101 Sinistra Pattriotica” or Program 101 Patriotic Left. The 1st 2 speakers are of this group (small party?), 101, who hosted the event. I read some of the statements on 101’s website. They say that we can’t let the right monopolize the debate and define terms like patriotism which they see as supporting sovereignty and protecting the rights of all who live in the country as opposed to the “blood and soil” definition of the far right.

I can’t today but will start a thread and post some of the things I’ve discovered.

I have to ask though, what have you been drinking, neoliberal kool-aid?
What’s there not to like about the Yellow Vests finally saying “enough is enough” and standing up to the Goldman Sacks gang?

One hopes they think of it as anti-capitalist, since "standing up to the Goldman Sachs gang" would be a limited and vague view that even Donald Trump's winning campaign commercial pretended to endorse.

For starters, they are not necessarily framing it that way, or identifying Goldman Sachs (note spelling) as their primary foe. One should try to be minimal about projecting one's own preferred rhetorical devices. It's better when we look at what they are saying, as you also did above.

From that and other statements I've seen, I think there is little doubt most would agree they are opposing the neoliberal extremism of the bourgeois Macron government. No doubt "corruption" is a big theme, but that is also one that can mean different things. It seems as in other countries that many just hate the whole political class without caring for distinctions, which has been in the past directed at scapegoats without a systemic approach and is prone to veer into reaction and get recuperated for all kinds of misdirected approaches.

I hope it's true to say they are very much aware of this as a class struggle. It seems to be about working class and ruling class, the owners and their political agents.

.

[Heaven Swan]

Italians are going to support the French Gilets Jaunes next weekend in Nice, in case anyone is there and wants to join them.

This video has the translation enabled.just click on the gear icon until you get to auto-translate where you’ll find a drop down menu of languages.

[Elvis]

I do have the correct vest! Same design and yellow/green color. It fell into my possession in November and it could be useful, so I'm keeping it. A trip to Italy is out for me, but if anyone's going they can borrow my vest.

[Heaven Swan]

Is This The Craziest Gilets Jaunes Yellow Vest Protest Yet?


Livestream from today:


LIVE From Paris With The Yellow Vest Protests

[Heaven Swan]

The Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man (Official Lyric Video)

[Jerky]

Wait... are you still a moderator here?

Is this behavior, this jocular amplification of a personal attack against me -- particularly galling since I would wager that I'm a lot better informed about the Yellow Jacket movement than either Heaven Swan or you are atm -- consistent with what we should expect from a moderator?

Who's the "other" moderator, again?

Jerky

I have to ask though, what have you been drinking, neoliberal kool-aid?

That would explain a lot.

[JackRiddler]

I think it's political and you should take it that way rather than turn it into a point of order.