My First Real Manifestation

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Well, not mine, really. I was merely a curious observer. But yesterday on my way home from school I saw my first 'live' French manifestation, a socio-cultural phenomenon that is popular and accepted in France but rather foreign to me, being an American.

Yesterday's Drama

The manifestation that I saw yesterday was a protest by the 'pompiers voluntaires'- the volunteer-firefighters- who were agitating/manifesting for a pay-raise. I came across them in front of the National Assembly, first noticeable because of the 100 or so policemen surrounding them. In fact, I think there were more police than firefighters there. At first I couldn't really see what was happening, the ring of police officers was so tight, but then I saw all of the protesters sitting on the ground- yellow firefighters hats and everything. There wasn't any violence that I could see, but apparently there was quite a violent confrontation later on in the evening at Nation (the end-point of the march/protest, which progressed across the city throughout the day). At any rate, the police were super-vigilant...rather typical of the confrontational, suspicious vibes I usually feel from the 'officers of the law' in this city. I don't know if this is a Parisian attitude or a French-police attitude more generally, but encounters between civilians and officers are often fairly hostile. I guess you can't blame them, seeing the results of the emeuts (riots) of last November in the suburbs, but I don't think their attitude exactly helps the situation...

Qu'est-ce que c'est une manifestation? De quoi s'agit-il?

A manifestation (that's the French word) is really just a rally or a protest by a group of people in support of some common cause. Pretty simple. It's similar to ecological actions, anti-abortion clinic protests, or anti-war protests in the US. However, in France the primary difference is that a large number of them are organized by 'syndicats'- the labor unions. That is a bit of a generalization, as there are other social movement groups that hold protests too, but labor unions are much more visible here than in America. My impression is that there is always some group striking somewhere, and someone is always vocally unhappy with something and determined to make themselves heard! And yet this stereotype (not mine alone!) is rather ironic, because the US labor-market is in fact much more unionized than here in France!!! We even have a lot MORE strikes in the US...only you don't hear about them.

A quick example:

In the last month alone the SCNF (national railroad company) went on strike for several days, the bus-conducters interrupted traffic one day last week, the firefighters had a protest, and there is a public-school educators march planned for this Saturday. Students love to strike here; last spring some of the universities were closed for up to 2-3 months!

Those are just events that I am vaguely aware of. I am sure I could think of more if I'd been paying closer attention.

Une culture de la greve

The banality and the legitmacy of strikes, protests, and even non-violent vandalism in France is quite distinctive and fairly peculiar for me. There is most definitely a greater social acceptance of strikes and protests here that in the USA: it's a completely different cultural attitude. It is completely normal for an industry to go on strike for a couple days (faire la greve) or to hold a rally in the streets of Paris to agitate for reform. Usually it consists of a demand for a payraise, or better working conditions, or more secure job-contracts, or a protest against proposed governmental reform. Strikes are usually short-term and more symbolic than pernicious, but there is no hesitation to perturb the social system or the economy in the name of 'equity'. This is the opposite of the US, where the US President has the power to dissolve a strike and the 'law of the market' reigns supreme. I find it hard to understand how firefighters can go on strike...aren't they supposed to protect us? who will put out the fires???...but it is simply a different culture. One that I am getting used to day by day!

An Effective Method of Democratic Participation?

Although it is rare that an industry or union convinces all (or even a majority) of its members to participate, they seem to have quite an influence on popular opinion, and sometimes even effect (or block) federal legislation. For sure, their effectiveness is greatly exaggerated (thanks to the media coverage), and in reality the labor unions are surprisingly weak here in France. However, their techniques are nonetheless a valid tool of democratic participation. However, it seems to me that the nearly-constant strikes and protests are not necessarily the most effective method of achieving one's goals.

A strike is a hostile, confrontational method which frequently ends up stalled, ineffective, or even counter-productive. I believe that a culture of compromise and cooperation is more effective for pursuing the labor-unions goals. Protests serve more as a wake-up call and means of expression, which I feel is legitimately effective. What I am totally against, however, is the minority-tendancy to turn to illegal vandalism which is also in evidence here.



There are numerous examples of non-violent illegal actions that have a certain legitimacy with the French population, or even provoke a sense of pride. The best-known example are the Faucheurs Volontaires, a group of anti-GM-food protesters who regularly destroy GM crops being raised by private farmers or research scientists. This group is led by a man named Jose Bove who has acquired household-name status here in France and generally serves as emblem of the entire (very strong) anti-GM movement in France. I don't personally agree with this type of action, but that is doubtless a function of my American-upbringing. We Americans tend to value individual liberty and property-rights above all else (sometimes to society or the environment's detriment). But still, illegal is illegal, and I think these crusaders are misguided. Personal opinion, but there it is.

However, if strikes and vandalism are not the most-effective system, what is? I ask myself. Have we Americans found the best system? I think not.

The American Choice: Back-Room Lobbying & Ethical Ambiguity

I preface this section by saying that America is one of the most functional, responsive democracies in the world and there are numerous manners for interest-group expression. I consider myself lucky to be a citizen of a nation that has such a vibrant democracy and such a culture of public participation (even is this right is not practiced by all). That being said...

The United States has overwhelmingly chosen a lobby-system where most of the interest-group wheeling-and-dealing is done behind the scenes by highly-paid lobbyists. (See ethics-reform law being debated in Congress right now!!!) To my mind, this system is highly limited and undemocratic, because a small ring of well-connected, secretive, wealthy, politicized actors has access to our nation's lawmakers. These people are not elected but are sent, rather, by the interest groups and businesses with the greatest financial resources. This limited group, therefore, is most able to translate its platform(s) into legislation. And we know very well the consequences of self-serving big-business legislation...

That's a fairly cynical view of ouy system, and highly-stereotyped, but it typifies the essential undemocratic elements of American politics. Our system is definitely not perfect. There most be some middle ground between highly-effective 'undemocratic' (term used loosely) American lobbying and the ineffective, highly-disruptive, but very-much-democratic strikes and protests found in France. What is this elusive balance? I'm not sure. I think I'd have to do a lot more research and develop my ideas in a well-thought-out paper, not a 30-min blog on the Internet. But it's food for thought, and if it makes you reflect on what the ideal type of civilian-legislator interaction should be...so much the better!


I'll end my short-blog-turned-socio/political-analytic-book right here by saying that I don't think I'll be taking part in any 'manifestations' myself this year, but I'll let you know if I'm invited! (Actually anyone can join...you just walk out into the street and start marching along!) At any rate it's a very typical aspect of French culture that I've been wanting to explore/explain in more detail, so if you made it to the end of this....I hope you learned something! Comments welcome. Maybe a description of the ideal democratic system, anyone???

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