Nuit Debout

Contextual Citation

“The #NuitDebout occupations are structured in a very similar way to those of the 15-M movement in Spain, with participatory decision-making structures and the belief that people should have a much greater say in democratic processes. It is organized chaos, with free food, professional sound systems, a website, live streaming and a medical tent, but with no one really in charge. “ (https://roarmag.org/essays/nuit-debout-republique-occupation/)

Description

From the Wikipedia:

“Nuit debout is a French social movement that emerged from opposition to the 2016 neoliberal labor reforms known as the "Loi Travail," and began on March 31, 2016. It has been compared to Occupy Wall Street of the United States and the anti-austerity 15-M or Indignados of Spain.It is seen as part of the wider Occupy movement.

Earlier protests on March 17, 2016 saw between 69,000 and 150,000 protesters against the Loi Travail driven primarily by youth organizations.[3] It grew significantly with demonstrations of 390,000 to 1.2 million protesters on March 31.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuit_debout)

History

Sam Cossar-Gilbert , in Roar:

“Over the last month France has been rocked by mass protests, occupations and strikes, as a new generation takes to the streets to expresses its rage at labor reforms and growing inequality. Over a million people have mobilized across the country to say on vaut mieux que ça — “we are worth more than this.”

The Loi de Travail or Labor Law is one of a number of neoliberal and security reforms introduced by the Socialist government that continues to dismay the general population. It will make it easier for companies to fire staff and reduce payouts to laid-off employees, and it threatens the 35-hour workweek.The spark for the initial demonstration was lit by a group of young activists who launchedL’appel du 9 Mars, started a collective and organized a Facebook event that drew thousands of supporters. A petition against the Labor Law drew 1,000,000 signatures and group of YouTubers also created a viral video #OnVautMieuxQueCa. Local unions first responded to the call to mobilize, and were eventually joined by some of the larger national trade unions.

March 9 saw over 500,000 people take to the streets across France in a massive display of people power. Chants rang out: “Youth in pain, elders in misery, that is not the society we want,” and: “The youth are in the streets, your law is gone.”

The government was left scrambling to announce changes to the unpopular labor reform, which according to polls are opposed by up to 70 percent of the population. To many commentators the mobilizations were a flashback to 2006, when protests against the Contrat première embauche (CPE) was withdrawn after students brought the country to a standstill.

In France, unemployment currently sits at 10 percent, and the rapid growth of the movement is in part related to the economic and political crisis affecting much of Europe. It is a response not only to the new Labour Law, but also the feeling that something has gone profoundly wrong with the political system. Elected officials do not seem to represent the people they serve, and social and economic policies are determined purely by market concerns.” (https://roarmag.org/essays/nuit-debout-republique-occupation/)