The strike continues Monday, especially in transport where the movement of trains and subways is still very disturbed. Three, four or five days without work: for some strikers, protesting pension reform amounts to sacrificing part of his salary. In support of the strikers, video game players have launched an original initiative, a "renewable stream". Understand a live video, 24 hours a day, on the Twitch platform. Since Thursday, players are filming themselves playing, they take turns all day and encourage users to make donations, then returned to the pot of strikers. Result, more than 48,000 euros collected in four days.
An improvised initiative
Reproducing a demonstration in a level of Super Mario Bros, with the Koopa and their carapaces as CRS, opposed to protesters Skelerex, this is the kind of fun concept that can be seen on the "stream renewable". Streamers play their favorite games all day, while thousands of people watch them on the other side of the screen. The slogan: "We'll stop when they ( the strikers, ed ) stop."
We will not stop until they stop!
Art by @ jeanfluflu # Recondustreampic.twitter.com / PQoNBcbwpa
The initiative, totally managed online, on a forum, was set up in just two days. "I was contacted on Twitter by a guy who challenged me and another streamer: a stream in support of the strike, I pushed the idea further: a renewable stream, like the strike. had to be at the height of the event, "tells Europe 1 Usul, videographer passed by jeuxvideo.com and Médiapart, committed against the pension reform.
"In two days, we mobilized dozens of people, it's completely crazy! Now we will organize to follow the strike to the end," he adds. In total, the "Stream renewable" mobilizes nearly 70 volunteers, between those who play live, those who moderate content and chat, and those who organize everything. On the financial side, Internet users can challenge "streamers" who, in return, encourage them to give in the pot. The money thus collected is donated to the common pot of the CGT, a pot then distributed to all strikers and not only unionized. "That's also what we want to show, because when we're together, we can do extraordinary things," Usul said.
The @recondustream has just created Super Macron 64. https://t.co/yEdI6F4Urnpic.twitter.com/Glzszfvao6
- Romain Vincent (@RomainHG) December 7, 2019Entertain and inform
Among the streamers, there is Nat'ali. It is followed by 17,000 people on Twitch and ended up on the project a bit by chance. But she does not regret. "If I was not so afraid of violence, I would be in the street I'm not unionized but I support the movement This stream is a bit my way to show it," says-t- she. Nat'ali, like many other participants in the project, believes that more needs to be done beyond pension reform alone. "I almost worked in the video game industry, but when I was in school, I burned out, in school it's a great environment, but we're not talking about unpaid overtime, pressure in the last weeks before the release of a game ... It's a very hard world and I want to talk about it. "
In fact, the "reconductible stream" is not just a series of video games. It's not just about entertaining people. "For the moment, it's very collective what we do, very democratic and very creative, everyone is free to propose what he wants for the stream," says Usul. Thus, between two games, exchanges are organized with stakeholders around pension reform, precarious student or working conditions on the web.