The French Ministry of the Interior announced that the number of protesters against the draft amendment to the pension system exceeded one million, in conjunction with a wave of strikes that included the education, transportation, energy and hospital sectors, at a time when the government insists on approving its project.
The French Interior Ministry said in a statement that 1,272,000 people participated in protests on Tuesday across the country, including 87,000 in Paris alone.
The General Labor Union estimated the number of participants in the demonstrations at about 2.8 million people, including half a million in Paris.
The General Labor Union and other trade unions also called for two new protest days, on February 7 and 11, to object to President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Violence and clashes
In Paris, the march began in the afternoon led by the heads of the main unions, who marched behind a banner reading “Pension reform: work longer, no”.
The Paris municipality expressed its solidarity with the demonstrators, as banners were raised on the facade of the municipal building, one of which read, “The municipality is in solidarity with the social movement.”
Eleven thousand policemen were deployed across the country, and some streets of Paris witnessed clashes between demonstrators and police forces, who used tear gas to disperse them, while the marches continued until late at night.
Mobilization was also strong in major cities from Marseille (south) to Rennes and Nantes (west), where protesters chanted, “Macron, your law will not pass,” and they also carried banners bearing the slogan “I do not want to retire at the age of 64!”
All union heads praised a greater participation than that recorded on the first day of mobilization, that is, 12 days ago, as the Ministry of Interior estimated the number of demonstrators on January 19 at about 1.1 million demonstrators.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin accused left-wing parties of “disturbing” the debates to “systematically prevent the government from moving forward”.
The leader of the left-wing “Father France” party (opposition), Jean-Luc Melenchon, said that “Macron will surely lose,” praising the people’s struggle against the government, as he put it.
Strikes continue
On the other hand, the number of those who committed to the strike seemed low in a number of public and private sectors, especially in the public sector, with a percentage of 19.4% on Tuesday afternoon, compared to 28% on the first day of mobilization, according to the Ministry of Public Service.
In the education sector, the ministry announced that the rate of striking teachers amounted to 26%, which is less than the previous mobilization, but the unions spoke of at least 50%.
The National Railways Company had said earlier that it expected to operate a third of high-speed train trips, and urged citizens to work from home.
Air France said it had canceled 10% of its short-haul flights.
According to the General Labor Union, the mobilization remained strong in the mines and fuel depots of the “Total Energy” group, where the percentage of strikers ranged between 75% and 100%. For its part, the company’s management estimated the rate of strikers at 55%, compared to 65% on January 19.
Government insistence
Despite the mass protests, the government is still determined to approve the new retirement project, as Macron considered the day before yesterday, Monday, that reform is “necessary,” after Prime Minister Elizabeth Born confirmed that raising the retirement age is “non-negotiable.”
Born said in a tweet, “The pension reform raises questions and doubts. We listen to them. The parliamentary debate is open. It will allow, with transparency, to enrich our project with the aim of ensuring the future of our system through participation. It is our responsibility!”
The pension reform raises questions and doubts. We hear them. The parliamentary debate opens. It will make it possible, in transparency, to enrich our project with a goal: to ensure the future of our pay-as-you-go system.
It is our responsibility!— Élisabeth BORNE (@Elisabeth_Borne) January 31, 2023
Meanwhile, the reform draft is under scrutiny in the relevant parliamentary committee, and will be presented to the parliament’s plenary session next week.
Macron hopes that the project will win a majority in parliament with the support of conservatives, but some of them have expressed reservations about the reform plans.
