Millions of French protest against pension reform
- May 1, 2023
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French unions took to the streets on Monday to mark May 1, a new test of strength against pension reform, the thirteenth since early January. Trade union leaders
French unions took to the streets on Monday to mark May 1, a new test of strength against pension reform, the thirteenth since early January.
Trade union leaders who marched together again (which hasn’t happened on May 1 since 2009) called it “historic”. mobilizationalthough some of the information prominence was once again exploited by aggressive groups.
General Confederation of Labor (CGT) indicated that there were 2.3 million protesters across the country (550,000 in Paris), which by its own calculations would be the second day with the highest level of participation since early January 19. anti-pension reform movement.
On the other side, Ministry of the Interior It numbered 782,000 protesters across the country and 112,000 in the capital.
Although the vast majority of the 300 marches organized throughout the country went off without incident, there were various skirmishes in Nantes. LyonToulouse or above all in Paris.
In the capital, throughout the demonstration route between Republic Square and the nation between the forces of order and radical groups that smashed the windows and windows of shops or financial institutions and burned containers and all kinds of street furniture.
Charges, tear gas and water cannons
The police responded with accusations tear gas and the use at the end of the march of trucks with pressurized water cannons to disperse rioters, as well as to extinguish a fire in the basement of a building on the Plaza de la Nation.
One of her agents was seriously injured as a result of burns caused by the impact. incendiary cocktail. Until 17:00 local time, authorities counted 180 detainees across the country, 53 of them in Paris.
Law enforcement agencies used drones to control the paradesan issue that has sparked controversy in previous days and prompted judicial resources to avoid it, arguing that these devices would restrict public liberties.
According to the prefecture (government delegation) of the department of Rhône, the use of drones has led to the arrest of about thirty people causing incidents in Lyon.
The Ministry of the Interior deployed a total of 12,000 police officers throughout the country, 5,000 of them in Paris.
Riots take away union leadership
Before the start of the Paris march, the general secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT, the country’s first trade union), Laurent Bergé, reiterated his condemnation of “any form of violence against property and people‘, asking that it not be a problem that was brought to attention.
Because the goal of the centrists was, first of all, to reiterate their opposition to the pension reform, already promulgated for more than two weeks, which move the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64who managed to keep them together.
Unity that could start to crack as soon as Berger announced he would attend a meeting he hopes Prime Minister Elisabeth Bourne will hold in the coming days to discuss other issues in the government’s attempt to turn the page on a crisis that has plunged him into anxiety paralysis .
The General Secretary of the CGT (CGT, the second center of the country) Sophie Binet, although she agreed with Berger in the urgency of contacting revaluation of wagesRussians, losing purchasing power due to inflation, were less willing to sit down and debate with the executive branch, putting aside the issue of pensions.
This issue and how the protests will continue will be at the center of the meeting of all unions on Tuesday.
EFE
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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