Adele Haenel, Medine, Frederic Lordon… the people supporting the strikers at the Total Normandie refinery

TotalEnergies’ massive refinery at Gonfreville-l’Orcher in Normandy reopened on Friday after police intervened and commandeered four employees. “The pumping has resumed” and “this allows the supply of the Île de France,” said Energy Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runachet. The Havre-Paris pipeline, supplied from the refinery, also serves Paris airports, which are “dry” according to Eric Sellini, national coordinator for CGT Chimie.

It was in this poignant context that several people came to support the strikers at the oil site. A call on social networks the day before to come and support the protest. Actress and feminist activist Adele Haenel was the headliner of this reinforcement, accompanied by hundreds of demonstrators, including many students, according to local media, as well as the philosopher Frederic Lordon.

“I have come with a simple message. If we unite, we can win. We want to impose a balance of power,” the caesarized actress said in a quick intervention with strikers who have halted production since March 7.

“Sensitive to the pain of others”

Also earlier in the day, rapper Medine showed up as a neighbor to also support the mobilization against pension reform at the site of France’s largest oil refinery. The artist responded “to the call of the youth”, “to show that all sectors of society are affected. It’s not because I’m a showman, that I’m passionate about my work and it seems to me that retirement is far away, that I’m insensitive to other people’s pain, ”he says into the Actu 76 microphone.

Following the words of several union representatives calling for continued mobilization, Total employees voted to extend the strike until 13:00 Monday, 76 news reports. “We want their shit to kill itself,” concluded Alexis Antonioli, general secretary of CGT refinery TotalEnergies.