Workers' Liberty

First posted 16 November. Student Movement overview (LCR website translation): 37 Universities wholly or partially on strike, with pickets: Paris I (Tolbiac), Sorbonne Paris IV, Paris III, Paris VIII Saint-Denis, Paris X Nanterre, Paris XIII Villetaneuse, Rouen, Tours...

... Caen, Nantes, Rennes II, Rennes I, Toulouse II le Mirail, Toulouse III Rangeuil, Pau, Perpignan, Aix-en-Provence, Lyon II, Montpellier II, Montpellier III, Lille III, Lille I, Limoges, Brest, Le Havre, Bordeaux II, Bordeaux III, Amiens, Angers, Besancon, Metz, Nancy II, La Rochelle, Dijon, Grenoble III, Orléans.

SNESUP (majority union of university researchers) is calling, from the 16th of November, for general assemblies of research staff to be held to vote on strike action.

Paris Region

Tolbiac Paris I: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: The centre has been on strike (with pickets) since Tuesday 30th October. Since this date, the director of Paris I has made numerous attempts at repression (with the unanimous support of the directors of the law faculty, who are declaring their "total solidarity" with the director): administrative closures (from 2nd Nov to 6th Nov, 8th Nov and 10th Nov); police intervention (at 10PM on Weds. 7th Nov), and misleading email communiqués. Despite the administrative closure, strikers managed to get in on monday the 5th of november. On Wednesday 7th of November, an assembly of 1,300 students voted again to strike, by a large majority, and voted to occupy. On Friday the 9th of November, a new assembly elected 5 delegates to attend the national co-ordination (from the unions FSE and SUD and one non-union representative). The director decided to organise an electronic referendum (!) from Tuesday 13th to Thursday the 15th of November. On the Tuesday 13th, an assembly of 1,300 students voted to continue the strike and the blockade with a crushing majority, until Tuesday the 20th of November. Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th saw administrative closures.

Sorbonne: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Wednesday 6th November, an assembly of at least 300 students voted to strike with pickets with an easy majority. The vote to occupy was split exactly 50%-50%. More than 100 students occupied the Sorbonne, until a police intervention at 10PM. No delegates were voted to go to the national co-ordination, as there were no general assemblies between the 6th and the 13th. On 8th of November, a "manifestation sauvage" [a roving crowd of demonstrators, with no police permission and no set route] of around 1000 came to the Sorbonne. 50 got into the university despite a police cordon, before being thrown out. Thereafter, the demo blockaded the train tracks at the Gare du Nord for 90 minutes. At the general assembly on the 13th of November, more than 400 students voted for a strike, with blockade and occupation, effective from the 14th of November. Further general assembly on the 15th. The situation is tense; plainclothes police are hovering around.

Censier Paris III: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 13th November, general assembly of around 700 students voted to strike and blockade. Another general assembly was held on the 15th.

Clignancourt Paris IV: Tuesday 6th November, a general assembly of around 120 votes for strike and blockade - unanimous but for 4 votes. The next day, an assembly of 400 votes to continue the strike with a slim majority (187 to 165). Monday 12th November, a general assembly of more than 600 students voted to lift the blockade (won by 10 votes). Another general assembly is being held today (Friday 16th November) to discuss the blockade.

Malesherbes Paris IV: Wednesday 7th November, General Assembly of 70. Election of an observer for the national co-ordination (from the FSE). Tuesday the 13th of November, general assembly of around 500 students; strike with blockade rejected by 12 votes.

Paris VI Jussieu: Thursday 8th November, a general assembly of around 300 students (and about 20 staff) voted to put in place a "barrage filtrant" on monday the 12th of November [a barrage filtrant: lit. "flitering blockade", being where activists block all but one or two entrances to the building, so that all staff and students are obliged to pass by an information point where tracts are handed out].

Paris VII (left bank): Thursday 8th November, assembly of around 300 students. Tuesday 13th of November, general assembly of more than 500 students vote for strike with blockade starting from monday the 19th of November.

Paris VIII Saint-Denis: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 6th November, general assembly of around 500 people. Wednesday 7th of November, general assembly of 400 people. Monday 12th November, general assembly of 800-1000 people votes for strike, blockade and occupation. Tuesday 13th November, an assembly of 500 votes to continue the strike.

Nanterre Paris X: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Thursday 8th November, a general assembly of 800-1000 students vote to strike with picketing (615 for, 199 against) and occupation. Friday 9th November, buildings A, B, C, D, E, and L are blockaded. Strike pickets and "barrages filtrants" put up in buildings F (law) [n.b. law and econocmics faculties are normally the most anti-strike] and G (economics). On Monday 12th November, the forces of order penetrate the campus, temporarily break the picket lines and gas students; general assembly of 1,500 voted to continue the blockade. Tuesday 13th November, blockade of the entire campus; at 10PM, the CRS use batons to dislodge the students blockading the law faculty. Law students at STAPS vote to strike.

Créteil Paris XII: Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 200 people vote for the the repeal of the Pécresse Law (the motion was taken to the Administrative Council [elected staff body which governs the uni alongside the director. Administrative Councils, or CAs are threatened by the LRU, which aims to undermine them.]). Tuesday 13th of November, a general assembly puts in place "barrages filtrants".

Villetaneuse Paris XIII: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Assembly Wednesday 7th November (election of two delegates to the national co-ordination). Tuesday 13th November, an assembly of more than 300 voted to strike, blockade and occupy (the UNEF leadership declared itself against the strike) by 205 votes to 83.

Evry: Monday 12th November, general assembly of 300 students voted to strike. Another assembly was held yesterday.

Cergy Pontoise: Tuesday 13th of November, general assembly of 200 students voted to strike

Marne La Vallée: Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 200 people.

Western Northwest Region:

Rouen: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: on strike with blockade since the 25th of October (faculty of letters and psychology), general assemblies of 1000 people monday 29th and tuesday 30th of October. Monday 5th November, general assembly of 2000 students voted to continue the strike and blockade, and voted almost unanimously to adopt the following motion: "We call upon the higher education union leaderships to join the mobilisation and call immediately for strikes." Wednesday 7th of November, the blockade was extended to the science faculty. Thursday 8th November, 700 students (500 according to police) demonstrated. Monday 12th November, sport science students joined the movement and voted to blockade. Assembly of 1,200 people in letters, humanities, psychology, and sociology voted to continue the strike with blockade.

Tours: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE 6th November, assembly of 800 students vote for strike and blockade. 8th November, general assembly continues the blockade and votes in delegates got the national co-ordination. Monday the 12th of November, a general assembly of 1,500 students voted to continue the strike with blockade until 21st November. Tuesday 13th November, two students are arrested by the undercover police [the BAC, or Brigades Anti-Criminalité, a particularly brutal plainclothes riot squad, not an 'intelligence' operation like UK plainclothes police]. The local SNESUP branch has called a strike for the 16th of November [today].

Caen: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 6th November, a general assembly of around 400 students voted for strike with blockade in the literature building. Thursday 8th November, a general assembly of around 600-700 people blockaded the literature buildings and the science faculty. Demonstration of around 500 people on Thursday 8th November. Tuesday 13th November, general assembly of around 1,500 students voted to reconduct the strike with a blockade. More than 1,000 students have gone to demonstrate in the city.

Nantes: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Wednesday the 7th of November, general assembly of 700 people votes for strike with blockade. Blockade in literature and human sciences of 200 students. Thursday the 8th of November, general assembly of 1,800 students votes to continue the strike (around 1,200 for, 600 against) and the occupation. Demonstration of around 700 students. Occupation of the university on Thursday the 8th of November. Following the general assembly on tuesday the 13th, the blockade of literature and human sciences was continued. Following the general assembly on the 14th of November, the blockade was extended into the law faculty. Read about it on http://mouvement.etudiant.nantais.over-blog.fr/

Rennes II: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 6th November, a general assembly of 800 students voted to strike with blockade. Wednesday 7th November, a general assembly of at lesat 2,000 students voted to continue the blockade. Thursday the 8th November, demonstration of around 3,000 students in the streets of Rennes. Blockade of the railway lines for 2 hours. Monday 12th November, general assembly of 2000 students votes to continue the blockade until the repeal of the Pécresse Law. Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th November, administrative closure of the uni following an (illegitimate) referendum organised by the president and sanctioned by UNEF. Wednesday 14th of November, a general assembly of staff shamefully gave its support to the director of Rennes II (who compares strikers to "terrorists"), thus opening the way for police intervention on Thursday 15th November at 2AM. Students were arrested.

Brest: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE. Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 300 people votes to strike without blockade. Monday the 12th November, general assembly of more than 500 people votes to strike with blockade.

Le Havre: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 1,000 people votes in a strike with a slim (510/476) majority. Blockade rejected (361 for, 476 against). Monday the 12th of November, a general assembly of over 1,000 people votes for strike with blockade (586 for, 475 against). Another general assembly was held yesterday.

Rennes I: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE. Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 300 people votes to strike without blockade. Tuesday the 13th of November, a general assembly of 500 students votes for strike with blockade.

Lorient: Wednesday 7th November, general assembly of 150, "barrage filtrant" put in place the next day.

Poitier: Monday 12th November, general assembly of several hundred students.

Angers: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 13th November, a general assembly of 900 students in literature votes for strike with blockade (470 for, 261 against). General assembly of students in sciences took place yesterday.

Le Mans: general assembly took place yesterday.

La Rochelle: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 13th November, 400 students from the faculty of letters voted to strike with blockade.

Orléans: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Thursday 8th October, General Assembly of 250. Wednesday 14th of November, general assembly of 400 students voted for strike with blockade of the literature faculty.

SOUTH WEST

Toulouse le Mirail: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 6th November, 1,500 students decided to maintain the blockade (and noted the launch of an anti-blockade email petition by reactionary groups), which was put in place the next morning. Thursday 8th of November, general assembly of 2,000 students continued the blockade. At least 2,000 students from 3 universities in Toulouse demonstratied. Tuesday 13th of November, general assembly of 1,300 students voted to continue the blockade until tuesday the 20th of November. Furthermore a general assembly of 200 staff voted to go on strike!

Toulouse I (Arsenal): Thursday 8th November, general assembly of between 250-300 students. Two delegates sent to the National Co-ordination (from FSE and the left-faction of UNEF, the TUUD). Tuesday the 13th of November, the assembly voted to strike without blockade.

Toulouse Rangueil: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Wednesday 7th November, general assembly of around 80 students. Tuesday 13th November, general assembly of 600 students voted to strike with blockade.

Pau: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Wednesday 7th November, general assembly of 400 people vote to strike. Thursday the 8th of November, a general assembly of 1600 people voted to strike (1,129 for, 295 against, 33 abstentions) and to blockade (1,009 for, 591 against, 20 abstentions). Friday 9th November, demonstration of around 200 students. Direct action against a motorway toll booth. Monday 12th November, students voted 1,242 to 1,023 to contiue the blockade until friday the 16th of novemeber.

Perpignan: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: General assembly Wednesday 31st of October of 200 students. Assembly voted to strike, and also to "empty the rooms" [of classroom furniture, to prevent teaching] and the occupation of the campus until wednesday the 6th of November. Wednesday 7th November, another general assembly was attended by 1,000 students. Students voted by 618 votes to 361 to continue the strike, blockade and occupation. The technology facutly also went on strike with blockade until Wednesday 14th of November, when another general assembly voted to continue the blockade by 896 votes to 626. http://greve-perpignan.blogspot.com/

Limoges: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE Tuesday 6th November, general assembly of around 150 people. Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 300 people. Monday 12th November, general assembly of 400 people (literature) who voted to strike and blockade. Tuesday 13th November, general assembly of science students (300) voted to strike and blockade. Another general assembly was held yesterday.

Bordeaux III: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 13th of November, general assembly of 1,500 to 2,000 students voted to strike and blockade by a slim majority.

Bordeaux II: Also on strike

Bordeaux I: Wednesday 7th November, general assembly of 140 students. Tuesday 13th November, general assembly of 600 people votes to accept the principle of strike action. Next assembly is on Monday the 19th.

SOUTH EAST

Aix-En-Provence (Schuman site): STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Wednesday 7th November, a general assembly of 1,300 students voted to strike, blockade and occupy. Friday the 9th of November saw a general assembly of 800 people vote to continue the blockade. At 9:30 that night, the CRS [riot police] dislodged the occupying students (this being a completely unprecedented event in the history of the university). The univesrity has been closed by the administration "until further notice". Tuesday the 13th of November, a general assembly of staff demanded the reopening of the site.

Lyon II: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Thurday the 8th of November, a general assembly of around 500 people voted to strike and blockade from monday the 12th of November. On Monday 12th November, at least 1,000 students vote to blockade the site for the entire week.

Montpellier II: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Thursday 8th November, a general assembly of 500 students voted to strike and blockade. In spite of this, the strike wasn't really begun until Wednesday the 14th of November. On the 14 th of November, a general assembly of more than 1000 students voted to strike and blockade. On Friday the 16th of November, the director intends to hold a referendum on the blockade.

Montpellier III (Paul Valéry): STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Friday the 9th of November, general assembly of 150-200 students. Monday the 12th of November, assembly of around 1000 students who voted for strike and blockade.

Grenoble III: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 13th of November, general assembly of over 1,000 students voted to strike, blockade and occupy the building until the 21st of November. On that evening, the police arrived and cleared out the university: three students were arrested.

Grenoble II: Tuesday 13th of November, private security guards dislodged, with the use of dogs, a meeting of students in a lecture theatre.

Saint Etienne: Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 80 students. Interprofessional meeting on the 13th. Assembly on the 15th.

Nimes: Friday 9th November, students decided (by secret ballot) to blockade the university from the 12th of November, in order to demand the election of a new university director (the election having been held up by the current rector). Local demands on issues like democratic control, wages and the marking of exam papers. Another general assembly was held yesterday.

Marseille (Saint Charles): Monday 5th of November, general assembly of 150 people.

Chambéry: Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 80 people.

Avignon: Monday 12 November, meeting of 300 people.

Clermont-Ferrand: Tuesday 13th November, 450 students attended an informative meeting. The next day, the Administrative Council's offices were blockaded by around 100 students. An assembly was held yesterday.

NORTH

Lille III: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: 6th November, general assembly of 1,200 students voted to strike and blockade. Next general assembly was fixed for the the 12th of November; the assembly decided to let the director of the university organise a referendum by secret ballot on the blockade of the university on that day. On Thursda the 8th of November, a demonstration of 2,000 people. On Monday the 12th of November, the secret ballots were counted to reveal that students had voted to blockade by 1,631 votes to 1,037.

Lille I: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Wednesday 7th November, general assembly of 300 people. Virtually unanimously votes to strike and a small majority (150 for, 130 against) votes to blockade. Thursday 8th November, demonstration of around 1,500 people. The next day, a general assembly of 1,600 students votes by a very slim majority (810 for, 800 against) to continue the blockade. Monday the 12th of November, a general assembly votes to continue the blockade by 1,082 votes against 1,006. On Wednesday the 14th of November, a general assembly of staff in the maths faculty voted to strike. http://www.ag-lille1.info/

Lille II: Tuesday 13th of November, general assembly of more than 2,000 people votes to strike (1,483 for, 774 against), but the blockade was rejected (952 for, 1,316 against).

Arras: Thursday the 8th of November, general assembly of 400 people votes to accept the principle of striking. Another was held on tuesday 13th of November.

Amiens: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 6th of November, general assembly of around 400 people. Tuesday the 13th of November, general assembly of 1,000 students from human sciences (of a faculty of 5,000) votes to strike with blockade. On other faculties, a strike without blockade was voted in.

Valenciennes: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE in the literature faculty.

EAST

Nancy II: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 6th November, a general assembly assembled around 150 students and voted to put in place "barrages filtrants" on Thursday the 8th of November. On that day, a general assembly of 700 students, followed by a demonstration of several hundred. Two delegates (from UNEF) were sent to the national co-ordination. On Wednesday the 14th of November, a general assembly of 1,000 students voted to strike with a crushing majority (90%).

Metz: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Thursday 8th of November, general assembly of 650 students voted to strike. Tuesday the 13th of November, a general assembly of 800 students voted to strike, blockade and occuoy.

Reims: Tuesday 6th November, general assembly of around 200 people.

Strasbourg: Thursday 8th November, general assembly of 150-180 people. On Tuesday the 13th, general assembly of 600 people voted to strike without blockade.

Dijon: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 13th of November, a general assembly of over 1,000 students voted to strike and blockade.

Besancon: STRIKE WITH BLOCKADE: Tuesday 13th of November, a general assembly in the literature faculty voted to strike and blockade.