Over the weekend several million people took part in demonstrations in Paris and many provincial cities of France to show solidarity with the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack. The magnitude of the protests is an indication of the profound malaise which for years has been developing below the surface of French society.

In an article originally written and published last Friday, Alan Woods – editor of In Defence of Marxism – looks at the impact of the latest events in France, where two armed gunmen attacked staff and security at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper, killing a dozen people and injuring many more. These events have sent shock waves across France, the whole of Europe, and beyond.

The terrorist attack against the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo has caused a huge wave of anger and indignation throughout France. The labour movement, however, must not let this horrific attack be used as an excuse for the hypocrisy, racism, and exploitation of the ruling class.