French government says 1 million people took to the streets against pension reform proposal; 44 were arrested in Paris
Around 1.1 million people took to the streets in France this Thursday (01/19/2023) on the first day of the general strike against the government’s pension reform proposal, according to the French Ministry of the Interior. The trade union confederation CGT (General Confederation of Work) estimates that 2 million took part in the movements.
The acts started around 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT) in at least 9 cities including the capital Paris, Toulouse, Marseille, Nantes, ClermontFerrand, Montpellier, Tours, Nice, Lyon. A new demonstration is planned for January 31st. The information comes from Le Figaro.
Actions against the government’s proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 (more on this at the end of the text) resulted in tourist attractions in the country, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, being closed. In public transport, 3 subway lines didn’t work and another 10 only at peak times.
Read below the impact of the 1st day of general strikes in France:
- Education at least 70% of teachers joined the strike;
- transport In Paris, 3 metro lines were closed and another 10 worked only during rush hours;
- community service 28% of workers were mobilized;
- energy of the total workforce of EDF (Electricité de France), the country’s largest energy company, at least 44.5% were on strike;
- tourism Eiffel Tower and Palace of Versailles not open during the day; some rooms of the Louvre Museum were also not visited; Disney Paris night attractions have been brought forward to allow guests to catch the subway on time.
CONFLICTS IN PARIS
In Paris, a group of protesters threw cans, bottles and sticks at police. Security forces responded with tear gas. At least 44 people have been arrested in the French capital, according to Le Figaro.
According to the CGT, 400,000 demonstrators took part in the crime in Paris. The French government said the act in the French capital was attended by 80,000 people.
The concentration of the strikers started at the Place de la République (Republic Square, in free translation) and went through the Place de la Bastille (Bastille Square, in free translation). The destination was the Place de la Nation.
See pictures of the acts this Thursday (Jan 19):
UNDERSTAND THE PROPOSAL
French workers oppose Emmanuel Macron’s government proposal to raise the retirement age 62 years to 64 years by 2030. The project was presented by French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne on January 10th and is scheduled to be handed over to the Council of Ministers next Monday (January 23rd).
The French government’s goal is for it to come into force in September 2023. Before that, however, the proposal still has to go through the National Assembly and the French Senate.
This Thursday (January 19), Emmanuel Macron commented on the demonstrations in conversation with journalists. The French President is in Barcelona, Spain, for a FrancoSpanish summit. He said at the time that it was “good and legitimate that all opinions can be expressed”.
“I trust the organizers of the demonstrations that these legitimate differences will be expressed without inconvenience to our compatriots and without excesses and violence,” he said.