Last-ditch protests in France over Macron’s pension reform
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Loading... - Jasper Cobus
- 13 Apr 2023
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Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Thursday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms, in a final day of demonstrations before a crucial court decision on the legislation.
As on previous protest days, there were scuffles between police and protesters across the country, while demonstrators also stormed the headquarters of French luxury goods firm LVMH in Paris.
All eyes on Friday will turn to France’s Constitutional Council, the country’s highest administrative authority, which will announce its final say on the pensions legislation in the final hurdle before Macron can sign it into law.
Police expect around 400,000 to 600,000 people to take part nationwide on Thursday. That would be fewer than half the nearly 1.3 million who demonstrated in March at the height of the protests against the reforms, which include raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.
“Now’s not the time to give up, because that’s what Macron is expecting,” said Johan Chivert, a student in the Creuse region in central France.
“We have to keep going and show the people are against this reform.”
Security forces were on alert, with around 1,500 anarchist and radical protesters expected in Paris, while regional towns such as Nantes and Rennes are again seen as being at risk of clashes. Read More…
