blockades
Articles about direct action using blockades, often of transport links.
France: Schoolchildren join student and teacher strikes
Across the country secondary school students are voting to join strikes in support of university students and the wider struggle.
Tomorrow many of France's teachers will go on strike as part of a wider civil service action. Some universities have seen staff vote on further solidarity action with students.
France: Student strikes and blockades to continue
Today will be an important day for the student movement with Police and university authorities ending most occupations before the weekend.
Today will be a return to struggle, or in some cases a beginning. The first blockade of Paris VIII began today at 7am. Many universities will be holding AGs this week to decide whether to continue the movement, which up until now has continued to grow.
Korea: rail-workers, dockers and truckers call off strike
Unions for the three groups had arranged a coordinated strike action to begin today in support of their demands.
The government had declared the strike illegal and had mobilised hundreds of soldiers to try to keep the railways open over the weekend. This would have been the fourth such strike in South Korea since 2000. The unions have yet to confirm why they cancelled the action, with many workers told while they were preparing pickets only an hour before the official debut of action at 4am
Behind the unrest in France, 2007
Jef Costello examines the reasons behind the recent wave of strikes and university occupations in France.
The keyword in current French politics is reform. Both presidential candidates claimed that France needs to modernise to be able to complete on a global level. Surveys showed that most voters identified both Royal and Sarkozy as 'candidats de la rupture' meaning that they represented a break, a break from the traditions of working class militancy and France's revolutionary and socialist past.
France: more universities vote to strike
Information is at a premium, with official channels giving reports that do not tally with experiences on the ground, with actions going unreported or unconfirmed.
There were votes for strike action today at Bourgogne, Amiens and Lille II universities. Filtered barrages were voted for at Paris XII, Orleans and Chambery.
Riot police attack the blockades at Nanterre university 13/11/2007
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An account from one of those at the blockades, with a few minor edits and additions for clarity.
At least 150 students started the blockade from 7am, at one point the blockade of the F building looked to be under threat, but by the time I arrived there were easily 250 people blocking the doors. The law students threw apples at the pickets but discipline was maintained on the picket lines so as not to give the police an excuse to atack.
Updates from Nanterre
Some of today's events at Nanterre
The day began badly with the university authorities calling the police. Around 100 Gendarmes were used to break the blockade, tear gas and batons were used on the picketers. There were no arrests, the police satisfying themselves with hitting a few people, although there do not appear to have been any serious injuries.
France: university students continue strikes
More news from the developing movement in France.
Many of France's 84 universities are now on strike and blockaded, Rouen, Nantes,Tours, Tolbiac (Paris 1), La Sorbonne Clignancourt, Lille I et III, Rennes II, Toulouse, Perpignan, Caen (Lettres et Sciences), Nanterre, Montpellier I, II and II, Pau, Aix, Lyon II, Metz, Limoges, Nancy and Paris VIII. Some universities have strikes with no blockades, Le Havre, and Toulouse Rangeuil.
France: some updates on student strikes
Updates and reports from AG, blockades and strikes across France.
This update is not comprehensive but it has most of the available information, additionally some universities are still on holiday and therefore no action can take place.
Aix-en-Provence, the AG at the litterature campus, held yesterday, voted to continue the strike and the blockade until the next AG on Tuesday (465 for, 250 against) (09/11/07)
France: report from Nanterre University
.jpg "D building 09/11/07")
A brief report on the occupation at Nanterre university.
Yesterday a general assembly (Assemblée générale, or AG) was held at Nanterre, at the beginning around 1200 students were present, numbers dropped as the meeting took two hours but the final vote was over 600 in favour, 199 against and around 100 abstentions. Students voted to begin a strike and a blockade and also to occupy the buildings.
