Ajit Karn
Paris: Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to strike and demonstrate in France on Thursday, after President Emmanuel Macron pledged to move forward with a profoundly unpopular pension reform despite escalating national outrage.
Since January, union-organized protests against the legislation, which increases the retirement age by two years to 64, have attracted massive audiences.
The ninth national day of action will be held on Thursday, according to labour unions, to protest Macron’s “disdain” and “lies.”
Macron drew the ire of unions and opposition parties on Wednesday when he rejected their requests that he respond to the mounting public outrage.
“The best answer we can give the president is that millions of people are on strike and in the streets,” said Philippe Martinez, leader of the extremist CGT union.
As a result of the strike on Thursday, train traffic will be severely disrupted, airports will also be affected, and many teachers will walk off the job, while continuous strikes continue at oil depots and among waste collectors.
The majority of protests have been nonviolent, but anger has increased since the government passed the measure without a vote last week.
Seven evenings ago, spontaneous demonstrations broke out in Paris and other cities, igniting trash cans and clashing with police.
Macron maintained his position on Wednesday, asserting that the new law was necessary and would go into effect later this year.
He rejected calls to terminate his prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, who has been at the vanguard of the pension reform, and attempted to turn the page by charging her with increasing her parliamentary majority and reengaging with labor unions.
Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party, stated, “He has added more explosives to a fire that was already well lit.”
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Since the “Yellow Vest” revolt four years ago, the most significant challenge to the president’s authority has been posed by the most recent outbreak of protests. A large majority of French citizens are opposed to the pension legislation and the government’s decision to force it through parliament without a vote, according to recent polls.
