WHO'S WHO: Inside France's 'Chaos Inc.' franchise of communist groups, labor unions and global activists
Global Protest Network Amplifies France’s Student Riots
A message posted on X by Indian communist scholar Vijay Prashad on Saturday linked the unrest in Paris to demonstrations in New Delhi and Buenos Aires, echoing a lyric from The Clash that reads, “Let fury have the hour, anger can be power.”
Prashad, executive director of Tricontinental Ltd., a nonprofit financed by American‑born tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham of Shanghai, used the post to underscore the growing international coalition that has taken Paris’s October school riots as a launchpad for a broader campaign against capitalism, austerity and military spending.
From classrooms to streets
The student protests that erupted in early October over school conditions quickly spread across France, drawing participants from Montpellier to Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Marseille and Saint‑Étienne. While the original grievances centred on educational reform and funding cuts, far‑left socialist and communist organisations—most notably La France Insoumise (LFI) and the Gilets jaunes movement—steered the demonstrations into a wider critique of government policy and neoliberal economics.
A recent Fox News Digital investigation identified 54 groups active in the French protest ecosystem. Sixteen of these are student or youth organisations, including communist youth factions and a Muslim student association. The remaining 38 comprise adult‑led communist parties, labour unions, revolutionary‑left groups, advocacy coalitions and international media outlets that amplify the narrative.
“Chaos, Inc.” and a trans‑continental network
The investigation characterised the network as “Chaos, Inc.,” a transnational alliance that spans Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and North America. Among the 28 communist and socialist youth organisations identified, a coordinated strike was planned across 12 European countries under the slogan “Fight for Our Future, Not Their Wars!” The campaign calls for walkouts, demonstrations, assemblies, blockades and occupations.
Tricontinental, named after a 1966 communist convention in Havana, is part of this network. Its funding comes from Singham, who also backs the far‑left CodePink group and the New York‑based media outlet BreakThrough News. The latter published a headline‑grabbing piece titled “ANTI‑MACRON PROTESTS ROCK FRANCE,” which featured footage of smoke‑filled streets and clashes with police.
American voices echo European anger
In an interview with BreakThrough News, Jodie Evans, Singham’s wife and co‑founder of CodePink, urged Americans to follow the example of France, Spain and India. “I want people to look at France, Spain, and India,” Evans said, calling on U.S. citizens to participate in CodePink’s upcoming November campaign opposing Pentagon spending.
Legal scrutiny
The House has recently warned that Singham‑linked nonprofits, including Tricontinental, must comply with subpoenas or face congressional action, underscoring the political stakes of the international protest movement.
A global moment
The Paris protests have become a flashpoint for a network that blends local grievances with a global leftist agenda, drawing support from student bodies, unions, and media that cross borders. As the demonstrations spread and intensify, observers note that the movement’s reach extends far beyond French schools, suggesting a new phase in transnational activism that could reshape public discourse on education, security and the state’s role in society.