About a million people demonstrated this Saturday in France against reform of the state pension system, protest organizers estimated, 300,000 of them in Paris, where at least 26 demonstrators were arrested.
Police authorities said 26 people were arrested in the French capital and that hooded individuals were among the protesters who attacked various shops.
This day of protest, the seventh consecutive weekly mobilization, was convened by the main French trade unions, led by the General Confederation of Workers (CGT), and included Defiant France leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who was present at a demonstration in Marseille that drew about 7,000 people.
“I believe that we need a democratic way out of this impasse,” – said the leader of the left party.
CGT General Secretary Philippe Martinez called on President Emmanuel Macron to “consult the French” on his proposed reform of the national pension system at the start of the Paris demonstration.
“The majority is absolutely against this unfair reform and supports mobilization and strikes,” Martinez said, quoted by Europa Press.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has asked airlines to cancel 20% of flights scheduled for this weekend at several airports, including Paris-Orly, due to an air traffic controller strike.
On Thursday, the French Senate voted with a right-wing majority to defer the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, the main point of the government’s proposed change to the pension system.
The vote came at the end of a 15-hour parliamentary marathon on this article, when the left introduced hundreds of amendments to prevent debate, and the right resorted to an exceptional way to overcome them.
Aside from the parliamentary process, which could end next week, Macron’s big hurdle has been the street protests organized by all the trade unions united in an alliance unprecedented in France.
The government justified the increase in the retirement age as a reaction to the financial degradation of pension funds and the aging of the population.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.