France unions say ‘non’ to an increase in pension age
PARIS — More than a million protesters marched in cities and towns across France on Tuesday, in a new round of protests and strikes against the government’s plan to raise the retirement age to 64. Unions called for more protests this weekend while warning that the situation could become “explosive.”
The government “must withdraw its project now,” unions demanded after an evening meeting to decide their course of action.
They had hoped Tuesday’s show of force would undermine President Emmanuel Macron’s showcase draft legislation.
Garbage collectors, utility workers, train drivers and others walked off the job across the country to show their anger at the reform.
“The (president’s) silence ... constitutes a grave democratic problem that inevitably leads to a situation that could become explosive,” unions said.
They asked for an urgent meeting with authorities while calling on citizens to “continue and amplify” the protests, and join new marches Saturday.
Protesters took to the streets in Paris, Marseille, Nice and other cities. Minor clashes with police broke out in Nantes, Rennes and Lyon. In Paris, police used tear gas to stop protesters from carrying out violent attacks on banks and shops and to disperse them after the protest ended.
Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez said 43 people were detained in a march that drew 81,000. The Interior Ministry said that nearly 1.3 million protested around France. The CGT union put the number of Paris protesters at 700,000 and estimated 3.5 million around the country.