This morning, a bunch of them came to my eldest's collège to persuade the collegians to storm the school gates and go and demonstrate too. The school principal was having none of it. The school has a legal responsibility for students and there was no way any would be let out to roam the streets illegally.
Despite his actions, about 400 lycéens were swarming the school climbing in through the Vie Scolaire windows to take over the playground, interrupt lessons and cause as much disruption as possible. In the end the police were called and the trouble-makers left. But they promised to come back tomorrow and collect up as many kids as possible to go on demonstrations.
An email has been sent to parents warning them of the situation and to instruct their kids not to try and participate (I didn't get one, I think I've been blacklisted... ooh!).
The Socialists have been having a lovely time mis-informing everyone and ensuring the reforms are as unpopular as possible. Well, no one is going to rejoice at having to work longer, but it makes sense logically (and we all know how logical the French are supposed to be, strange how logic escapes them when it doesn't suit any more, that and being able to count in this country devoted to the worship of maths) and financially.
The fact that Mme Royal and Mme Aubry are telling kids to skip lessons just before important mid-term exams to demonstrate against reforms which, let's face it, they shouldn't be involved with because it's not their business yet (plenty of time for that once they've qualified and got a job) is completely irresponsible.
Members of the government have been voicing their scorn of Mme Royal in particular, and the Socialists in general with words such as irreponsable, inadmissible, choquant lamenting Mme Royal's "manque de connaissance" about the reforms and wondering what the kids' parents think of her "démagogie".
Needless to say, the usual culprits are striking including train drivers irony of ironies who have been given a 10-yr stay of leave before they have to retire after 50. Why they are striking is anyone's guess, the most pampered section of public sector workers.
Meanwhile, Mme Parisot, head of Medef, le boss des boss, spoke on the radio about how French business was becoming the laughing stock of international business, with its reputation for unreliability thanks to all the strikes. Often French business people are unable to attend meetings because of air strikes, petrol shortages, and train strikes. Of course, the country's wealth and economic viability is nothing compared to the importance of retirement at 60, so no one on the street is listening to her because they don't really want to work anyway.
The stupidity of vast numbers of people makes one wonder sometimes whether they actually deserve to live in a democracy. They are certainly doing their best to destroy its economic base!
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