manif!

"chirac, if you still can't hear anything, plug in your hearing aid"

i took a little stroll today, since we still don't have class (the IEP voted a few hours ago on whether or not to keep up the blocage, but I haven't heard the decision yet...) and stumbled upon the huge manifestation going on at place Bellecour.... I had assumed that it would be over by then, since it was about 2:00 and it was supposed to start at 11. Even though I've seen many of these parades and demonstrations since being in Lyon, it still strikes me as something very bizarre. It seemed more like a festival that a demonstration, really -- there were people of all ages walking in the parade in the street, parents with their little children, lycéens, college students, much older people who looked like they've probably been doing this kind of thing since the student protests in '68..... many of them were proudly sporting anti-CPE stickers and holding flags and hand-made posters. At the center of the plaza, there were crowds of people milling around, sitting in the sun, and watching street performers who had evidently decided to profit from the gathering -- i saw fire breathers, jugglers, drummers, and musicians ... there were also merchants who had pulled their stands out into the plaza in order to sell sandwhiches, cold drinks, and kebabs. the french seem to truly cherish their "grèves générales" -- general strikes.

today was supposed to be the biggest strike yet. the government is inching toward compromise -- i think that sarkozy contacted some of the unions and student groups to call for negotiations, and i heard that there will be some changes made to the CPE law, such as reducing the contract to a 1-year period ... i really don't know if the protesters will take this or not. a lot of students are getting really fed up with the blocage, especially since we're getting to the point where our exams and credits and being called into question. the IEP and Lyon 2 are pushing for an end to the blocage, but have agreed throughout all this craziness to listen to the students and let us vote on what happens next. many others, however, are still fired up -- especially following Chirac's wishy-washy actions last weekend. people are not happy with Chirac at all, particularly young people. Clement and Louis have said that Chirac is seen as too old, too conservative, and totally out of touch with the people... as illustrated by his total failure to adequately address the CPE problem when a great majority of the country is against it and is in fact "dans la rue" protesting it. oops.

homemade signs abound...

the french communist party, contre le CPE ...

incidentally, Clément says that the French are not socialists ...

lots of milling and flag-waving

les membres du CGT, contre le CPE...

more protesters, followed by Man In Truck With Megaphone. (they actually have some pretty catchy slogans... good thing, because now they're stuck in my head.)

fire breathers, contre le CPE ... obviously.

les jongleurs ... mais alors, on n'a rien d'autre a faire quand toutes les universités sont fermées ...

ce chien est contre le CPE, aussi.

that's all! i wanted to take more but my battery died.