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  • Estelle Weylestelle@front-end.social
    Oct 19, 2026, 5:19 PM

    A few US-based people have reached out, concerned about the "violence" in France.

    It's important to realize that French citizens have rights because they are never satisfied, and they protest.

    Americans are losing rights because the status quo is "it's the freest country in the world," and they'll go to a no-kings march if it lands on the weekend, the weather is good, and they have no other plans.

    Convincing people everything is "exceptional" leads to complacency.
    Complaints lead to action.

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  • Drew Mochakprism@infosec.exchange
    Oct 19, 2026, 6:11 PM

    @estelle Wait so you're telling me they can't be shut down by instagram? Crazy. Someone should do something about that.

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  • Matthew Cambionmatthewcambion@metalhead.club
    Oct 19, 2026, 7:14 PM

    @estelle The only violence in France that concerns me is the violence being committed by the state against the citizens who tolerate the state's continued existence.

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  • digi-maamdigipooch@lgbtqia.space
    Oct 19, 2026, 7:21 PM

    @estelle and if no kings protest is planned, americans just stop protesting. I take it that all their grievances since that last protest has been resolved, somehow

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  • Nicole ParsonsNpars01@mstdn.social
    Oct 19, 2026, 7:23 PM

    @estelle

    A central tenet of a thriving democracy is "We Can Do Better".

    Despite paying lip service to the idea of continuous improvement, the oligarchs, who now own the GOP, hate, hate, hate the concept with a passion.

    They bought a US Supreme Court to roll back the USA to the worst parts of the 19th century.

    MAGA billionaires don't build; they extract, financialize & asset strip democracies.

    instagram.com/reel/Dcg4xPtvcVd/

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  • Juan Per¢ent,🇲🇽 🍉,🇻🇪dacig@mastodon.social
    Oct 19, 2026, 9:27 PM

    @Dubikan @estelle The relentless violence by the state ( 10,000 underaged students arrested, some beaten an maimed), zero responses to demands and what amounts to provocation into violence by kettling,gasing an grenading indiscriminately have provoked responses that are not ideal, but not surprising.

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  • Dubi is here :Dambo8:Dubikan@tooot.im
    Oct 19, 2026, 9:45 PM

    @dacig @estelle a. I feel like the causality is reversed here, but I'll admit I'm not close to the facts. B. Zero response to demands doesn't justify violence. Just because people protest doesn't mean the state has to give in to them. That's what democratic elections are for.
    On that note, the chance that these protests will bring la Pen to power makes them all the more counterproductive.

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  • Juan Per¢ent,🇲🇽 🍉,🇻🇪dacig@mastodon.social
    Oct 20, 2026, 6:59 AM

    @Dubikan @estelle Macron did advance a legislativ election because he thought he might get the upper hand. He did not, yet refused to name a government from the new majority.
    He has rammed austerity budgets by Parliament with no votes for it.
    For me democracy goes well beyond voting one day for "representatives". Demonstrations are another, vibrant, way to be heard,or not.
    Against a deaf government that destroys school and health systems, anger and some broken windows are acceptable to me.

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  • Juan Per¢ent,🇲🇽 🍉,🇻🇪dacig@mastodon.social
    Oct 20, 2026, 7:11 AM

    @Dubikan @estelle And is causality seems reversed is because a ransacked store is more graphic and stunning than a ransacked health system that takes years.
    Yet thousands of lives and young peoples futures hang in the balance in the other, replacable merchandises and old buildings. The Bastille was taken and demolished on a 14 juillet, and it was a good day.

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  • FreediverXfreediverx@mastodon.social
    Oct 20, 2026, 8:31 AM

    @Dubikan @estelle
    I saw them attacking properties owned by billionaires while sparing local businesses.

    It speaks volumes that you’re concerned more about property than democracy and the abuse of the people by an oligarchy.

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  • Estelle Weylestelle@front-end.social
    Oct 20, 2026, 12:50 PM

    That is exactly what happened.
    But the elite own the media, and the media owns the story... or, at least, they try.

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  • Petra van CronenburgNatureMC@mastodon.online
    Oct 20, 2026, 5:24 PM

    @Dubikan These protests don't have real leaders, they are more like a grassroots movement. But you could read a lot of distancing in interviews, also by politicians who had joined the protests.

    @estelle

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  • Petra van CronenburgNatureMC@mastodon.online
    Oct 24, 2026, 11:51 AM

    @Dubikan Sorry, but that was so fragmented that I should make a deeper research ... and nobody pays me the weekend for that. 😉 I remember some good articles in Le Monde and the Guardian. Some quotes, especially of politicians also on Franceinfo. Perhaps also France24.

    @estelle

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  • Estelle Weylestelle@front-end.social
    Oct 23, 2026, 2:50 PM

    @Dubikan

    Similar to ANTIFA, it is just a political movement. Those in power, be it police, biz, or political, will try to make you believe that the French protests, similar to ANTIFA, are George Soros- or other dog-whistle-funded terrorist organizations, but those claiming such things actually fit the definition of a terrorist organization, defined as "One who governs by terrorism or intimidation."

    @NatureMC

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  • Dubi is here :Dambo8:Dubikan@tooot.im
    Oct 23, 2026, 5:32 PM

    @estelle @NatureMC but there are some inidividuals who came up as spokespeople for the movement. They may not actually represent everyone, and they obviously don't control anyone, but they are seen by many to speak for the protestors.

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  • danielreijerdanielreijer@mastodon.world
    Oct 19, 2026, 9:24 PM

    @estelle One of the lessons advocacy teaches is that progress rarely happens because problems solve themselves. Whether we're talking about health, social inclusion or civil rights, change usually happens because people continue to raise issues long after others have moved on. Public pressure doesn't guarantee progress, but the absence of public pressure often guarantees stagnation.

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  • WhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮NickSchwanck@aus.social
    Oct 19, 2026, 10:05 PM

    @estelle Americans will proudly wear a badge that says "I Voted".
    In my country, voting is compulsory. We go and do it, we get on with our lives. Like buying a loaf of bread.

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  • TrueNorthSpice 🇨🇦TrueNorthSpice@mastodon.world
    Oct 20, 2026, 12:48 AM

    @estelle
    Canadians have been saying this for a long time,I hope they listen to you instead of vent rage, try to appeal to sympathy, admonish, or block.

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  • JBrown, Esqjbrownesq@mastodon.social
    Oct 20, 2026, 1:13 AM

    @estelle you cant compare "no kings" marches with what france's pro labor culture does. Not even close.

    "No Kings" is a star powered, funded, merchandised, police protected entertainment event that leads to NOTHING, demands NOTHING real (no kings? What does that even mean in the context?), is funded by neoliberal PACs, and let me say again THE POLICE PROTECT IT

    In France, THE PEOPLE RIOT IN THE STREETS without permit or permission from the state, and they MAKE DEMANDS.

    Nothing alike.

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  • DavidM_yegDavidM_yeg@beige.party
    Oct 20, 2026, 1:51 PM

    @estelle

    As usual, everyone is very concerned about “violence”.
    Based on the reports I’ve heard, protesters are not attacking people but damaging property. We need to change our languages around this: “I break things” is not the same as “I break your body”.
    As far as I know, the only people breaking bodies are the police (please tell me if I am wrong!)

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  • Petra van CronenburgNatureMC@mastodon.online
    Oct 20, 2026, 2:09 PM

    @estelle We should also tell the USians that the main parts of those protests are peaceful!
    What they see are images of a small minority of extremists (and we still don't know if they come from the ultraright) because media in France are not as free as in other countries (they are often belonging to billionaires). They perhaps don't see our independent media because these are too small.
    They should know that we have president's elections next spring. A lot of bad groups try to instrumentalise

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  • Petra van CronenburgNatureMC@mastodon.online
    Oct 20, 2026, 2:13 PM

    @estelle those protests, the worst are fascists in France but also their friends around Trump, Musk, and Zuckerberg.

    If you read French independent media, you will see a lot of police violence, even against kids. You will see the question about who has an interest to bring into disrepute the peaceful protests by violence.

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