On the 11th (local time), nearly 1 million protesters took part in a rally against the reform of the French pension system. The protests became violent at times, and police tried to disperse them with tear gas and stun grenades. Major labor unions warned that if the demand to withdraw the retirement age extension bill is not accepted, they will hold a general strike on the 7th of next month following the 16th.
According to the Associated Press and Euronews, more than 1 million people gathered for the 4th protest against the pension reform bill, which was held over the weekend.
The French Ministry of the Interior found that 963,000 people from all over the country, including Paris, Nice, Marseille, Toulouse and Nantes, took part. In the case of Paris, about 93,000 people took part, the largest since protests began last month.
Prior to the march, all major unions urged the government to repeal the retirement age extension bill. It warned that if the demand is not accepted, a general strike will begin on the 7th of next month, following the previously announced strike on the 16th.
More than half of flights at Orly Airport, Paris’ second-largest airport, were canceled this afternoon due to an unexpected strike by air and traffic controllers. The rail workers’ strike did not go ahead, so the trains and the Paris metro were running.
Some protesters participated as family units. A teenage boy held up a sign that read, “I don’t want my parents to die at work.”
Another teenage protester said, “We are often told that we are too young to care. However, with rising prices and skyrocketing electricity prices, this reform will affect our families,” he urged. “The government must listen to the voices of parents and students.”
The protests, which were mostly peaceful at first, showed some signs of becoming violent as time passed. Some of the protesters burned trash cans and broke windows in shops and cafes. A car was set on fire in Paris. In response, the police tried to disperse them with water cannons, tear gas and flash grenades.
Police arrested eight people on charges of possession of firearms and vandalism.
France is pushing for pension reform, with the main goal being to lower the retirement age from the current 62 to 64 by 2030 and raise the minimum pension benefit to 1,200 euros per month after 43 years of service. It is currently under deliberation in the House of Representatives, and the government plans to go ahead with the reform this summer. Invoking Article 49(3) of the Constitution allows the president to pass the bill ex officio without a parliamentary vote, but the political burden is considerable.
The pension reform bill is an important test for both President Emmanuel Macron and his opponents. The French government is in a position to fulfill President Macron’s pension reform election pledge. Foreign media reported that France is one of the countries that spend the most years after retirement among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.