La Sorbonne Occupied--> French State, Police State!

After more then 8 weeks of contestation, the Anti-LRU movement continues in France and is being further radicalised.

On the 26th of March 2009, the teachers-researchers occupied La Sorbonne university. They are still in the building, liberating the university from the invasion of this Sarkozy reform that wishes to abolish the last remainings of the social state in France. Also the national center for research (CNRS) was also occupied but then cleared.

Sorbonne is on strike
by sorbonnard2009

Upon the occupation of La Sorbonne, leftist student unions called for a solidarity demonstration in front of the university to support and reinforce the occupation. I went to the Sorbonne in order to participate, i found the forces of order (or repression) spread all over the Sorbonne square, they were covered with white resulting from the flour thrown at them from the demonstrators. We were chanting slogans of support, holdding eachother's hands in order to maintain the line in front of the forces of repression. As time passed, the police increased in number, surrounded us and closed every passing to the square. Meanwhile, policemen in civilian cloths filmed us thoroughly ( a good way for profiling). The police circle became tighter as they approached us, they encircled us, 100 protestors. The police chief took a speaker and told the demonstrators to leave the square in small groups, and present their ID cards while doing so.

Shockingly, the vast majority obeyed, we, militants of Marxist Unitaire, were only 10 to refuse but then we caved because we ended up alone. The police threatened us, saying that if we don't do as they demand they will arrest us.

The police controlled each person who left the square, verified his ID card and took the name, adress and place of birth! this is unacceptable in so-called democratic state like France. This act by the Police explicitly expressed that demonstrating, gathering in a public space is a crime, something you can be punished for! Taking our names is intolerable, and shouldn't be neglected. This, and filming us is a clear act of profiling, of constant control and serveillance. This practice showed that the French state is nothing but a police state! The police is trying to spread fear amongst the protestors in order to refrain them from coming back! This control of demonstartors is frequently seen in dictatorships and totalitarian state. "Democratic" states are smoothly slipping into dictatorship, everyone should be watched and controlled in order to protect the politico-economic oppressors who preach for economic liberalisation and privatization. This profiling is despicable, and the police should be brought into justice and courts in order to abolish such totalitarian measures, and hold the responsibles accountable.

What shocked me the most was that the demonstrators easily caved and agreed to submit to the police's orders! Demonstrators shouldn't have left the square nor agreed to give their names. The struggle cannot be won while obeying to the repressive acts of the security forces!

PS: The university was evacuted later on by the forces of repression.

Fin de l'occupation du 26 mars de la Sorbonne
by sorbonnard2009

For more information about the movement: http://sorbonneengreve.revolublog.com/