New riots in France in protests against pension reform

New clashes broke out on Tuesday in France in protests against pension reform of the liberal president Emmanuel Macronwhose government rejected the request for “mediation” to find a way out of the Social conflict.

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The participation drew back 740,000 people, according to the authorities, since “more than two million”according to the union CGT, on the tenth day of protests since January. The unions called again to demonstrate on Thursday, April 6.

The union centrals are the spearhead of the mobilization against the delay of the retirement age from 62 to 64 years by 2030, but the decision on March 16, Macron to apply it by decree radicalized the protests.

Riots and incidents between protesters and security forces continued on Tuesday in dozens of cities across Franceof Lille (north) to Toulouse (south), passing through Rennes (west) or lyons (east), but less intense.

A protester holds a sign reading ‘Freedom, Equality’ during a demonstration after the government approved a pension reform in parliament without a vote, using article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris on March 28, 2023. ( Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) (JULIEN DE ROSA /)

In the capital, security forces detained 27 people shortly before 7:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. GMT) and carried out 10,000 controls, according to the police. On Thursday, there were 457 detainees and 441 injured officers across the country.

Although the government, which mobilized 13,000 agents, seeks to criminalize protests and undermine support for them, police action is in the spotlight after criticism from human rights NGOs and even from the Council of Europe.

The images of a pitched battle returned to the front page on Saturday during protests against an agricultural dam destined for agribusiness in Sainte-Soline (central-west), which left two protesters in a coma.

In both cases, “There is a disproportionate use of force that we had already denounced during [la protesta social en 2018 y 2019 de] the yellow vests”he told AFP Jean-Claude Samouillerfrom the NGO International Amnesty.

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“Enough of the denials!”

In this context, the government and the unions assure find a way to calm downbut they hold out in their positions: the trade union centrals want the withdrawal or suspension of the reform, and Macron says no.

The government spokesman, Olivier Veranrejected on Tuesday the latest union proposal to seek “mediation” to find a way out and stated that they can “talk directly.”

“Enough of the denials!”, replied the leader of the moderate CFDT union, Laurent Berger, who had raised that idea that instead enlisted the support of one of Macron’s main allies: the centrist party Modem.

The liberal president is under pressure. His government defends that the reform is crucial to avoid a deficit in the pension fundbut it lacks union and popular support, and uncertain support in Parliament.

People take part in a demonstration after the government pushed a pension reform through parliament without a vote, using article 49.3 of the constitution, in Nantes, western France, on March 28, 2023. (Photo by Sebastien SALOM -GOMIS / AFP) (SEBASTIEN SALOM-GOMIS /)

The Executive continues “ruling as if it still had an absolute majority”, alert the political scientist Camille Bedockfor whom everything is oriented to “a face to face between power and the street”since intermediate bodies, such as unions and Parliament, cannot play their role.

Awaiting the opinion in April of the Constitutional Council On its validity, Macron seeks to quickly turn the page with other priorities such as health, education and guaranteeing a stable majority in Parliament.

But the protests continue to weigh. On Friday, the liberal president had to give up the visit of the British King Charles III scheduled this week.

Meanwhile, the unions are not throwing in the towel and they are joined by young people, much more numerous in recent two days of protest.

The day of action is the 10th such mobilization since protests began in mid-January against the law, which includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP) (JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER /)

“I’m still very young, but the government’s reaction (…) has made me want to fight,” told AFP simeon ronzier20 years old, in Lille.

In 2006, the mobilization managed to get the then government to withdraw a controversial employment contract for young people adopted by decree.

The protests have taken multiple forms for weeks: decreases in electricity production, 15% of gas stations without fuelcanceled trains and flights, public transport of Paris disturbed and even the Eiffel Tower closed this Tuesday.

The garbage collectors of Paris decided to end next Wednesday a three-week strike, which left thousands of tons of garbage accumulated in the streets, but with the aim of returning to the fight “with more force” according to the CGT.

Source: Elcomercio