Nationwide demonstrations by scientists and their supporters took place in France last Friday (March 19), marking the tenth day after research directors resigned their administrative duties. To date, more than 3500 scientists have resigned in protest over what they see as the government's "planned destruction of the research machine."
In Paris alone, demonstrators on Friday numbered in the tens of thousands—25,000 according to the organizers, 9500 according to the police.
Scientists' anger over budget reductions and other cutbacks has coalesced into a movement called Sauvons la Recherche (Let's Save Research) with widespread support in France. The movement is also garnering the support of French scientists working abroad, and protests by French scientists have taken place in Washington, DC, and Tokyo. As a symbolic gesture, these expatriates were encouraged to send CVs to the French ministry of research in mock applications for employment in their home country.
A letter from French ...
