Thousands of French took to the streets against raising the retirement age

For the first time in 12 years, France’s eight main trade unions have joined a general strike that has seen thousands of demonstrators take to the country’s streets this Thursday. The demonstrations had a particular impact in the capital, Paris.

Protesters are protesting against the pension reform project presented by Prime Minister Elisabeth Born and supported by the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron. The measure aims to raise the retirement age in France from 62 to 64.

“This is an unprecedented strike. It has been a long time since the eight main trade union leaders got together and all said they did not want this reform,” CGT confederal secretary Boris Plazzi told Lusa news agency.

The pension reform project was presented by Elisabeth Born on January 11, and Emmanuel Macron considers it “fair and responsible.” The protesters disagreed: “It is necessary to raise wages and pensions, not the retirement age,” read a banner raised by workers in protest in Tours, western France.

The French government says raising the retirement age by two years and extending the insurance period will bring in another 17.7 billion euros in addition to annual social security contributions, allowing the system to stabilize until 2027, according to the Finance Ministry.

“This problem can be solved in a different way, through taxation. Workers should not pay for a public sector deficit,” said Laurent Bergé, leader of the CFDT, France’s largest workers’ union.

Trade union leaders said Thursday was just the start of many strikes, Reuters reported.

The general strike stopped trains, closed schools and paralyzed oil refineries. Radio France Inter also joined the strike and played music without doing the usual programming. Bus drivers and civil servants also stopped work on Thursday.

Protesters threw various objects at the authorities, who responded with tear gas. About 20 people were arrested, according to BMF TV.