Incidents between demonstrators and police in the Paris march, the most massive
MADRID, 19 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of the main cities of France to protest against the pension reform promoted by the Government and which proposes, among other measures, raising the retirement age to 64 years, in a day of strike It has not caused paralysis but it has been noticeable in key sectors such as transport or education.
In Paris, where the largest concentration has taken place, some 400,000 people have gathered, according to sources from the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) quoted by the BFM TV network. Not surprisingly, for the first time in the Emmanuel Macron era, the mobilization had the explicit support of all the big unions.
The Police Prefecture has confirmed at least 30 detainees during the march in the capital, which has been dotted with some clashes, according to Franceinfo. Part of the protesters have thrown objects at the agents, who have responded with tear gas.
Throughout the country, there were more than 200 rallies called, with an influx of some 30,000 people in Toulouse, 26,000 in Marseille, 23,000 in and 20,000 in Perpignan, among other locations. In Lyon, authorities have also made 17 arrests.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has asked from Barcelona, ??at the end of a summit with the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, that the mobilizations take place “without excesses or violence”, after recognizing as “legitimate” the right of thousands of people demonstrate against the reform.
If there are no changes, the text will reach the table of the Council of Ministers next Monday, January 23. The reform proposes a gradual scenario, in such a way that the legal retirement age has gone from the current 62 years to 64 in 2030, while the review of the contribution period will be applied from 2027.
Macron has defended that France is “behind” on this issue compared to the rest of Europe and has stressed that the reform is “fair and responsible”. He has also pointed out that all the parties will be able to express themselves and try to “enrich” the text in the parliamentary process, which is expected to be complex.
Former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the French left, has warned from Marseille that Macron “will not last” because he has lost the “battle” to “convince the people.” The reform, in his opinion, “does not make sense.”
The malaise has also permeated the extreme right. Macron’s main rival in the 2022 elections, Marine Le Pen, has advocated “fighting” a reform that she considers “unfair and brutal”, as she pointed out on her Twitter account this Thursday.
The day has started with incidents in public transport, although the French media have reported little influx by travelers who already anticipated what could happen.
The main union in secondary education estimates that 65 percent of teachers have not gone to work, although the Ministry of Education reduces the figure below 35 percent. In primary education, the Government calculates the monitoring of unemployment at more than 42 percent, according to Franceinfo.
The state electricity network has confirmed a reduction in electricity production as a result of the stoppages, while in the TotalEnergies refineries, the level of support ranges between 70 and 100 percent, according to the CGT.