Nationwide strikes, protests in France as Macron defiant

25 March 2023

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Deutsche Welle :
French unions staged a national day of protests on Thursday, a day after President Emmanuel Macron issued a defiant defense of having forced through an increase of the retirement age.
In Paris, police fired teargas and baton-charged crowds after some protesters were seen throwing stones and directing fireworks at security forces. The
demonstrations were the ninth round of protests called by France's major unions since January and follow days of unplanned protests over the weekend.
"The best response we can give the president is that there are millions of people on strike and in the streets," said Philippe Martinez, who leads the CGT union.
Trade unions have called for a new day of nationwide strikes next Tuesday, when Britain's King Charles III is scheduled to visit the country.
Police also fired tear gas at protesters in several other cities, including Nantes and Bordeaux. In Rennes, they used water cannon.
Unions fear that protests could turn more violent if there continues to be no political response from the government.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called the violence "unacceptable," saying that while people had "a right to demonstrate," the unrest seen on Thursday went too far.
In the northern city of Dunkirk protesters targeted oil depots and blocked a major LNG terminal.
The strike also forced utility suppliers to cut the country's electricity output on Thursday.
Around a fifth of schoolteachers did not turn up for work on Thursday, the Education Ministry said.
Earlier in the day, protesters blocked railway lines and road access to the Charles de Gaulle airport.
Protesters also blocked major highways and interchanges near Lille, Toulouse, Lyon and other cities.
Half of all high-speed trains nationwide were canceled, national railway operator SNCF said.
Paris municipal garbage collectors have pledged to uphold a rolling strike until Monday, as thousands of tonnes of rubbish rot on the streets.
Polling on Sunday showed that Macron's personal approval rating had fallen to 28% - the lowest level since the Yellow Vest anti-government protests in 2018 and 2019.
On Wednesday, Macron made his first public remarks since the pension bill was forced through Parliament. He said he was prepared to accept unpopularity because the changes were "necessary" and "in the general interest of the country."
Macron has come under heavy criticism for refusing to entertain tax increases on the wealthy as an alternative means of maintaining state revenue. Critics have also slammed the pension reform as placing an increased burden on manual laborers and parents who stop working for several years to raise children.
Laurent Berger, the head of France's biggest union, the moderate CFDT, said Macron's comments "increased the anger."
Meanwhile, Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt said the government was not in denial about public sentiment but would nevertheless move forward "gradually."
"There is a disagreement that will persist on the retirement age," he said. "On the other hand, there are many subjects which make it possible to renew a dialogue."