Activism Beyond 'Feeling the Bern': Violent Protests for Social Progress Happening Now in France

[Ferd Berfel]

http://www.alternet.org/world/activism-beyond-feeling-bern-violent-protests-social-progress-happening-now-france

America's protests and rallies pale in comparison to the spirited and serious protests of France.

The presidential election in the U.S. has dominated the public's attention and produced two unlikely outcomes. The most obvious is that reality TV star Donald Trump, while breaking every rule in the book of U.S. presidential politics and offending women, minorities and just about everyone, is clearly going to be the Republican nominee for president.

The second outcome is that an avowed democratic socialist has almost kept pace with Hillary Clinton, the favorite to get the Democratic nomination. Bernie Sanders has won a string of races down the homestretch, and he keeps pushing the envelope, fighting and spending millions on advertising, even though his chances of winning the nomination are almost nil.

The success of a more radical candidate like Sanders makes progressives in America feel encouraged. And yet, despite several notable Black Lives Matters protests over racist police brutality, there has been very little protest in America about the overall economic climate; mostly a lot of voter enthusiasm for Bernie, as many "feel the Bern."

In France, it is very different. France is a far more rebellious country than the United States. People march in the streets and go on strike for the smallest reasons. But this time, there is evidence of a major revolt as hundreds of thousands of people have been protesting against a new labor law for weeks. High school and university students were the first to join the protest, to block their schools and to demand the withdrawal of the law, quickly joined by trade unions, and by the youth, in general. The grassroots movement called Nuit Debout ("Night on Our Feet&quot has been protesting virtually nonstop.

[felix_numinous]

1. It might take an international effort

to defy the TTIP and TISA, I cannot imagine how we can handle it ourselves.

[bjo59]

2. This is happening all over Europe and beyond. Americans seem to live in a

hermetically sealed bubble (or at least a lot of us do) and don't realize that the tighter the globalists clamp the vice, the more intense the reaction of those caught in the vice will become. On another note: if we think what is being done to Bernie Sanders is bad, just look at what is happening to Jeremy Corbyn in the UK. Against all odds (from the perspective of the Labour Party, the entire government and the media there), Corbyn was voted in as Labour leader. The response from the powers that be? To double down on ruining him, making sure he never will find himself in the position of prime minister.

[Ferd Berfel]

3. Americans are either too complacent (haven't hit bottom yet) or

too afraid to move.

We need another million American march on Washington to get their attention
and to force their respect