Protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms resulted in clashes between police and protesters for the third consecutive night yesterday. Trash cans and dumpsters were set on fire in the capital Paris, and police used tear gas. There were also protests in other cities in the country, such as Nantes, Marseille and Bordeaux.
People reject raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, which Macron approved on Thursday, bypassing a parliamentary vote. A broad alliance of the main French unions announced new actions to reverse the increase. In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets against the plans. On Friday, 61 people were temporarily arrested during the protests.
Garbage piles in Paris
As a result of the protests, mountains of garbage also pile up in the capital. There was also a strike at refineries on Saturday. Around 37% of workers at TotalEnergies’ refineries and warehouses stopped working. Strikes also continued on the railways.
Macron justified raising the retirement age by saying that otherwise the pension system would collapse. Fearing a defeat in parliament, his government approved the plan without a vote, citing an article in the constitution that allows it. Raising the retirement age is one of the president’s most important projects.
Political boomerang for Macron
Observers said ignoring the vote was evidence that Macron’s ability to organize majorities for reform projects had been undermined. This is now likely to affect future projects as well, he said.