On Jan. 29, over two million people took to the streets of France to protest the anti-worker policies of the Sarkozy government. Demands included job security, better wages and a call for the government to stop bailing out the banks while workers continue to suffer and get laid off from their jobs.
Eight major unions called a general strike in coordination with the demonstrations. Workers participating in “Black Thursday” successfully shut down and disrupted transit stations, schools, banks and other businesses. Union organizers have said that the action was the largest and most well received demonstration in the last 20 years.
According to a poll taken in France on Jan. 25, 69 percent of the public openly supported the strike and demonstrations.
Sandrine Dermont, a commuter waiting for a train in Paris, said, “I’ll join the street protests during my lunch break.”
The bleak economic situation has sparked protests across Europe, including France, Latvia and Greece, and has led to the collapse of the government of Iceland.
