Mass protests against a labor law making it easier to fire young workers have ignited throughout France. The law will allow employers to fire workers under 26 years old without cause. Over 700,000 people filled the streets of Paris alone, while estimates around the country top 3 million. Transportation, businesses, universities and other services have been paralyzed in a general strike. Pictures can be seen here. These mostly peaceful protests follow more violent actions by youths that began weeks ago. While the some may focus on the minor incidents of vandalism in hopes to disparage them, but the fact of the matter is that Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin????????s government is paralyzed. Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, and potential presidential rival in next year????????s elections, has broken with the Villepin????????s firm stance and has suggested the government suspend the legislation and enter talks with union representatives. But many suspect that Villepin will not make a move until a constitutional court rules on the validity of the law on Thursday.

France has a history of mass labor protests and strikes. 1968 is the most well known. But it was ten years ago that millions public workers went on strike when then Prime Minister Alaine Jupp???? froze civil servant wages and attempted to lower retirement age.

While some will point to the fact that the strong influence French unions and Leftist politics has on France have contributed to the high unemployment. The very youths that are currently protesting face an unemployment rate of 22 percent. But such views are the typical mantra of capitalists who want to weaken labor in order to lower wages and increase profits. One thing is for sure: the class struggle continues despite triumphant claims that the capitalist model is the natural and best system. Many people in France disagree. According to a poll cited in the International Herald Tribune, France was alone in disagreeing that ???????the free enterprise system and free market economy??????? is the best economic model. Only 36 percent of French respondents agreed with the capitalist model.

Given the anti-capitalist and anti-globalization undercurrent of the general strike, it is not surprising that the protests have not generated similar sympathy and outcry from Western governments has did the much smaller protests in Belarus. While Western governments were quick to condemn Lukashenko????????s brutal use of riot police to disperse protesters, silence reigns in regard to the youths in France. Some will say it????????s because the protests in Belarus were peaceful, while those in France have used violence. Such excuses ring hollow. The truth is one that is replayed over and over: when you are against capital violence against you is justified, when you protest for capital, violence against you is a violation of human rights. One need not belabor this hypocrisy. It is an ideologically clear and tired story that has been propagated by capital since its inception.

It is wonderful to see working people stand up and use their collective power in their own interests and reclaim democracy at a time when it is so wedded to free market ideology.