While the Macron government tries to break the refinery strike through requisitions, Total’s Normandy refinery continues to resist the offensive thanks to solidarity. On Wednesday, following the announcement of the requisitions, more than 300 strikers from all of Le Havre’s industrial zones, as well as students, managed to temporarily thwart the government’s anti-strike offensive. In continuity, a new support rally was called this Friday at 12:45 local time in front of the largest refinery in France.
“We are live from the largest refinery in France in Normandy, in support of this important strike we came from Paris.” Great worker and student solidarity action. inform @AleGomez64 pic.twitter.com/cmHPR9hbbz
— IzquierdaDiario.es (@iDiarioES) March 24, 2023
Hundreds of workers and students responded: stevedores and garbage collectors from Le Havre, workers from the CIM oil depot, from the Paluel nuclear power plant, activists from the local union CGT Harfleur and Le Havre, from the departmental union CGT de Eure, education staff , energy companies, workers from CGT Sidel and CGT Chevron, even the rapper Médine.
They were joined by 150 students and workers who arrived with two buses sent from Paris by the General Strike Network. Among them, students, railway workers, workers of the RATP, refineries of the Total plant in Grandpuits, but also the actress Adèle Haenel and the philosopher Frédéric Lordon.
Railwaymen, the actress Adèle Haenel, the philosopher Frédéric Lordon and + workers and students have traveled to Normandy to show solidarity with the Refinery on strike, against police repression. In defense of a strategic center of the fight against Macron! @ReseauGrevGe pic.twitter.com/GOH5dAZN9p
— IzquierdaDiario.es (@iDiarioES) March 24, 2023
Very early this morning, about fifty police officers harassed the refiners and their supporters in front of the Normandy platform. Finally, around 8 am, the strikers managed to retake the picket line, but the police blocked access to the supporters.
[EN DIRECTO]
Follow the mobilization #strike in France!At 5 in the morning, some 50 police officers charged the refiners and their supporters against the #requisitions in front of the Normandy refinery. They call for solidarity and a demonstration at 12:45. pic.twitter.com/QBr1mZB2ET
— IzquierdaDiario.es (@iDiarioES) March 24, 2023
While a large police force appeared in front of the assembled sympathizers, the latter began to advance to reach the gates of the refinery and finally managed to get the police to move back to resume the picket line. A huge demonstration of solidarity in the face of the repression that the government is trying to deploy.
Then the oil workers and their sympathizers carried out the picket while they multiplied and sang the slogans of the strike in a combative atmosphere. Later the refineries met in a general assembly and voted to renew the strike.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
