General meeting at Nanterre

Resist, go to the AG!

The mobilisation has begun.

This week there have been general assemblies across France. Attended by 700 at Aix, 800 at Tolbiac 950 at Toulouse le Mirail and 1000 at Rouen. Rouen and Tolbiac voted to begin an immediate stike and blockade to call for the repeal of the law.Toulouse voted for a strike and blockade to begin Tuesday 6th November. At Nanterre on Tuesday 30th there were between 250 and 300 people at the general assembly, reaffirming their opposition to the law and to the government's plans. A group left campus to join student who had already begun action in Paris.

The law on autonomy, or how to privatise the universities.

Everywhere in France students are mobilising against the law on autonomy for universities, which is an attack on the public service of higher education. The law will give financial autonomy to universities, allowing them to use private funds. The government objectives are clearly to: withdraw financial support to universities; create a competitive market between univrsities and eventually to organisation private management of state education.
Everywhere in Europe where similar laws have been introduced it has always ended up causing an explosion in enromlement costs for students and increased selection. Even now at Nanterre, selection already exists for the sans facs.

We organise resistance as the government attacks our rights.

The Sarkozy government isn't simply attacking students. Attacks on the state healthcare system, the Hortefeux law on immigration, the attempts to end special regimes for pensions and the suppression of posts in the education system; the government is trying to dismantle one by won every social victory that haas been won. It uses strong arm tactics to repress militants to destroy all opposition, including at Nanterre where there has been a security service since 1999.
But students are not the only ones to resist policies that only benefit the richest. On October 18th hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. More than 75% of rail workers went on strike that day. Since then workers at Air France, magistrates, lawyers, medical interns have all mobilised. All across France resistance is springing up to prevent round-ups and deportations of immigrants. A national strike has been called for November 20th, it is also our moment to act.

The only way to resist is to organise collectively. Like at Toulouse and Rouen, students must assemble to force the government to back down and listen to our demands.

Platform of demands from Nanterre:
Repeal of the law on autonomy for universities
Increase of university budgets, the number of grants and social housing
Enrolment for all the sans-facs
Student card = right to remain
Repeal of the Hortefeux law and an end to round-ups and deportations
Dismantling of the university securtiy apparatus and an amnesty for militants
Reintegration of Naima into the university and an end to attempts to prosecute her
An end to negotiations on the AGCS (General Agreement on Trade in Services)