An International Call for Solidarity with Popular Protests Against Austerity and Capitalist Exploitation
The mass protests in France have raised the banner of resistance against the economic crisis of global capitalism and governments’ escalating austerity measures.
The protests began with students taking to the streets to challenge the deteriorating state of education. They soon spread across society as a whole. Outraged by the Macron government’s intensifying austerity policies and the relentless dismantling of public services and social protections, people took to the streets in Paris and cities across France in their tens of thousands, demanding Macron’s resignation and an end to policies that are devastating their livelihoods.
More than a month into this wave of protests, student and university unions, major trade unions, and the Yellow Vests movement are among those mobilizing people to take action. In the heart of Paris, live performances of The International and other revolutionary anthems have transformed the streets into a powerful and historic scene of popular resistance.
These protests have attracted widespread international attention. At the same time, demonstrations have erupted in countries including Italy, Germany, Spain, Albania, Greece, Portugal, Belgium, Brazil, and Argentina. According to reports, popular protests in Serbia have also led to the fall of the government.
A common message running through protests in other countries is solidarity with the people of France, condemnation of police repression against demonstrators, and rejection of fascist propaganda targeting refugees.
What is unfolding in France and across the world may signal the beginning of a broader international revolt against the brutality of contemporary global capitalism.
Mired in crisis, global capitalism is seeking to preserve its power and profitability by intensifying austerity, imposing the dictates of the World Bank, and forcing working people to bear the cost of the crisis. The protests in France and elsewhere demand the strongest possible international solidarity.
Free Them Now declares its full solidarity with the popular protests in France and with movements in other countries that have joined their voices in support of the French people.
We strongly condemn the Macron government’s repression of protesters, the actions of the police in enforcing these policies, and the mass arrests carried out against demonstrators. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained.
We also condemn the dehumanizing propaganda spread by fascist groups in France to discredit the legitimate protests of the French people. We further denounce the alignment of Iranian royalist and right-wing forces with these reactionary currents.
The protests in France and other countries, with their direct challenge to the existing capitalist order and the hardship it imposes on working people, have also added momentum and international significance to struggles in Iran.
During this period, numerous labor and social organizations in Iran have expressed their solidarity with the protests in France. These include:
- The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company
- The Alliance of Retirees
- The Council of Iranian Retirees
- The Coordinating Council of Oil Contract Workers’ Protests
- The Coordinating Council of Trade Associations of Educators
- The Syndicate of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran
- United Retirees of Tehran
- Independent Retirees of Qazvin
- Independent Retirees of Tabriz
- Independent Retirees of Ramhormoz
This week, retirees affiliated with Iran’s Social Security system also expressed their solidarity with the French people during a protest gathering. Chanting “From France to Tehran, we demand lasting welfare!”, they highlighted the shared struggles of working people against deteriorating living conditions and the erosion of social protections.
Other slogans voiced by protest movements in Iran in solidarity with the people of France include: “From France to Iran, free education!” , “From France to Iran, down with the mafia!”
These expressions of solidarity demonstrate that the struggles of workers, students, retirees, and other sections of society transcend national borders. The fight for decent living conditions, free and accessible education, social welfare, and freedom from repression is a common struggle.
FTN calls on workers, students, retirees, and all sections of society to express their solidarity with the protests in France and other countries in every way possible.
We call on all progressive and freedom-loving people to stand against austerity, capitalist exploitation, police repression, and the rise of fascist and far-right forces seeking to undermine popular movements.
Free Them Now
October 27, 2026