Strikes, demonstrations and various actions are planned from 15 to 20 February 2020, in Paris and in the provinces. Reminder of the main events scheduled.
Anger doesn’t go away. Neither that of the Yellow Vests who will demonstrate on February 15, 2020 for the 66th Saturday in a row, nor that of the lawyers whose strike is paralyzing the courts, nor that of the railway workers and subway drivers who promise “a Black Monday” on February 17, nor that of the teachers who do not want the reform of the baccalaureate and other professions grouped within an inter-union that will disengage on February 20, nor that of a majority of French people who no longer want this haughty and authoritarian monarch, blind and deaf to the concerns of the people.
Act 66 on February 15
They’re here, “even if Macron doesn’t want them”. And they will not let go. The Yellow Vests have been demonstrating every Saturday since November 17, 2018. So this will be Act 66 of the movement, February 15, 2020. A rally is planned in Paris. The problem is that several appointments are announced without knowing at this time which one is authorized.
On the other hand, the Gilets Jaunes de Lorraine et du Grand Est have decided to meet in Metz, at 1.30 pm, Place de la République for a new “yellow tide” intended to alert the public authorities but also public opinion on the dramatic situation in which part of the population finds itself: poor pensioners, precarious students, workers unable to make ends meet… They will still be there, on Saturday, to remember the politicians in these election periods.
Black Monday
Two days later, on 17 February, UNSA-RATP and three other unions, FO, Solidaires and Sud-RATP called for “a Black Monday in the metro and RER” to protest against pension reform. This will be the first day of the text being considered by the National Assembly. This “Black Monday” will affect the SNCF and consequently the TGV.
It is known that the special ”pensions” committee of the Assembly, chaired by the LREM deputy Brigitte Bourguignon, had to end its work on 11 February 2020, without having been able to examine the text of the reform project to the end, because of the 22,000 amendments tabled by the opposition, in particular by France Insoumise. This situation is unprecedented under the 5th Republic. The bill will therefore arrive in the Hemicycle in its original version, that of the government. There is going to be sport!
Open letter from the lawyers
Three days later, on 20 February 2020, the CGT, FO, FSU, Solidaires, MNL, UNL, Fidl, Unef interunion call for a new day of action. This will be the 10th day of mobilization in France since December 5, 2019, the date of a vast protest movement against the pension reform project.
The 70,000 lawyers in France did not take off against this reform. They went into their sixth week of strikes and protests without bending the executive. The National Council of Bars (CNB), which represents the 163 bars of France, decided to continue the strike movement which paralyses all jurisdictions. In an open letter to the Minister of Justice, the lawyers explain why this reform is unjust and unacceptable.
And it is certainly not over…