(Original title: More than a million people took to the streets to protest the French pension reform and the fire of demonstrations intensified)
News from the Financial Associated Press on March 24 (edited by Ma Lan)More than a million French people took to the streets on Thursday to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms. In Paris alone, nearly 120,000 people protested, the largest number of protests since the pension reform was introduced.
According to polls, a majority of French people oppose raising the retirement age. But Macron has repeatedly said that some reforms must be made for the future sustainability of French pensions.
And last week, without going through the normal legislative process, Macron invoked an administrative regulation to forcibly pass the pension reform plan, which intensified the contradiction between the government and the people.
Union leaders called for fresh action to continue next Tuesday. On the same day, King Charles of England is expected to visit France.
Macron on fire
According to the pension reform plan, the legal age for French people to receive pensions has been raised from 62 to 64.
At first, most people chose to protest peacefully, but last week Macron forced reforms without a parliamentary vote, leading to rising anger and more violent protests.
In a television interview on Wednesday, Macron said he chose the national interest over the polls and the national interest. He said he did not regret introducing pension reform, but hoped to improve tensions with unions so that they could be more involved in future decision-making.
However, this interview may have had the opposite effect. Laurent Berger, president of France’s largest trade union CFDT, accused Macron of lying on Twitter.
Philippe Martinez, head of the more hardline union CGT, said Macron had used the interview to mock workers and that the union’s best response was to have millions of people on strike and taking to the streets on Thursday.
Protesters gather at Place de la Bastille in Paris
In central Paris, protesters threw projectiles and burned uncollected rubbish piled high in the streets. The police used tear gas. Additionally, a small group of anarchists could be seen among the protesters.
Unions fear the protests could become more violent if the government continues to fail to respond politically.
Striking workers also demanded the cancellation of the King’s state visit. According to author Stephen Clarke, the protesters are very sensitive at the moment, and they are highly vigilant against any figures representing privilege and wealth. Generally speaking, the French welcome the King of England.
Paris resident Geraldine Duberret, 62, gave another answer. King Charles III of England is not his mother, Queen Elizabeth, who is very popular in France. But Charles didn’t have such a good reputation in France.
