Word: thursdaying
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...millions of French protesters took to the streets Thursday for a repeat of the nationwide strikes that slowed the country to a crawl on Jan. 29, there was the feeling that the mass social movement had become distinctly personal. More than ever before, marchers said they were not just denouncing the government's minimalist response to the worsening recession, but were singling out President Nicolas Sarkozy as the defiant embodiment of attention to ideological orthodoxy rather than the peoples' pain. As a result, public and political challenges to Sarkozy's leadership are growing - including from members of his own conservative...
...swelling movement appeared to cause fewer logistical problems than did the near lock-down in January, when rail traffic and municipal transport was almost crippled, scores of flights were canceled, and countless schools and public administration offices remained shuttered. By midday on Thursday, 60% of France's high-speed TGV trains were still operating and 45% of regional rail service was functioning. Air France maintained 70% of its short- and medium-haul flights in and out of Paris' two airports, and long-haul service was normal. And while several provincial cities such as Lyon experienced considerable disruption of public transport...
...Does the comparatively modest nuisance caused by Thursday's action mean Sarkozy and the government can simply ignore the striking? Given the enormous turnout and rising public anger, pundits warn the answer is: No. Though Sarkozy granted $3.5 billon in additional tax cuts to workers following January's walk-out, unions denounce that as a pittance compared to the $35 billion poured into business investment under the government's economic stimulus package and $468 billion in aid handed to French banks and finance groups. The protesters now have three main demands: that major funding be given to employees to increase...
...Unions have repeated those demands since the Jan. 29 protests, which advanced a broader range of petitions for income and employment protection in the face of recession. Less than 48 hours before Thursday's marches, however, Sarkozy brushed off their calls, scolding critics with the reminder that "I was not elected to raise taxes [but] to reconcile France with the workplace and factory." But with polls indicating that 78% of French voters support Thursday's strike movement - three points higher than in January - union leaders and political opponents warn that Sarkozy will ignore the popular call for relief...
...headed up by female leaders. Andrea R. Flores ’10 serves as president of the UC, Eva Z. Lam ’10 is president of the Dems, and Mary K.B. Cox ’10 is president of the SAC. All three women came together last Thursday to discuss leadership as part of the Women’s Center’s “Women’s Week 2009: Engendering Change.” But while they all are at the helm of three of Harvard’s largest political organizations, their experiences...