France has seen a second influx of fights and strikes against President Emmanuel Macron’s arrangements to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Large marches Were held” across France after the first day of the event attracting more than a million people.
The anti-government marches were just as loud and large, if not louder and Larger. Then 12 days ago,
Eight major unions joined the strike, which disrupted schools, public transport, and oil refineries.
The major CGT union said half a million protesters gathered in Paris alone, although the interior ministry did not confirm this figure,
But for all the mass mobilization, it is still far; from clear whether the protesters will be able to get Mr Macron to back down. The government can withstand any number of “action days” like this as long as they play out along the predictable and orderly lines they have so far,
Macron’s government is pushing through pension age reforms in the face of opinion polls suggesting two-thirds of voters oppose the changes, which will begin going through the National Assembly next week.
Without a majority in parliament, the government will have to rely on the support of right-wing republicans. As well, As the ruling parties’ MPs.
Hours before The start of In the main protest in the Place d’Italie in central Paris, thousands of demonstrators turned out in Toulouse, Marseille, and Nice in the south.
Police fired tear gas as tensions escalated at the end of the road on Place Vauban
11,000 police have reportedly.” been deployed to cover the demonstrations, which are taking place in more than 200 cities. Some skirmishes; were reported at the end of the Paris route at Place Vauban.
Karima, 62, held up a banner in Paris Which highlighted that the government’s plans hurt women far more than men: “Many of us already have broken careers and will have to work even longer than men to get a full pension.”
Karima (L) said she would need to work no less than two additional years to get full benefits.
There were; Serious ”disruptions to traffic, with one in three high-speed trains running and only two driverless metro lines operating normally in Paris. Large crowds.
Overhead lines in the capital.
Transport strikes can no longer suffocate France as before. The proportion of public sector workers on strike on Tuesday was lower than on January 19 – likely a sign of fear of lost wages.
Power plants have announced production cuts after workers went on strike at the power company EDF.
One of the main.; teachers” unions said roughly 55% of secondary teachers had left, although the government said the figure was just over a quarter. High school students staged protests outside some schools and students. Said they would occupy Paris’ Sciences Po university in support of the strikers.
High school students participated in protests in support of the strikers on Tuesday;
For President and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borneo, this is a good argument for sticking to your guns: letting people work out their anger, which is only an expression of their helplessness in the face of ruthless and incomprehensible change.
At age 62, the retirement age in France is lower than in most other Western European countries.
Macron’s government has indicated it may move on the details of its reform but has refused to budge on the main” intention of raising the retirement age by two years to 64.