France Sees 14th Mass Protest against Pension Reform
France Prepares for Major Protests as Unions Call for Strikes
Several sectors, particularly energy and transportation, have decided to strike and rally at the request of French unions. It is estimated that nearly one million people will participate in the demonstrations. Transportation in and around Paris was affected from the early hours of the day.
Protests and rallies will take place at 250 locations in France, especially in the cities of Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux. Recent polls reveal that 57% of French citizens support the strikes and demonstrations.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin reported that 11,000 police and gendarmerie have been deployed across the country, with 4,000 in Paris specifically, due to the anticipated protests. Additional measures were put in place after intelligence was received that extreme leftists from other countries would participate in the demonstrations.
Mass protests began in France on March 16 after the government decided to approve the bill, which increases the retirement age from 62 to 64, without a vote. Protesters were met harshly by police, and violent incidents occurred in various regions across the country.
Over 1,000 individuals have been arrested in protests throughout the country since March 16. Despite the widespread opposition, the Constitutional Council approved the article of the proposed law increasing the retirement age to 64 and rejected six articles in whole or in part.
A bill to repeal the law, which was passed despite mass protests and significant opposition, will be discussed in the National Assembly on June 8.
