Nationwide protests in France after Macron doubles pension law | – #Nationwide #protests #France #Macron #doubles #pension #law
PARIS, March 23 (Reuters) – President Emmanuel Macron is deeply unpopular despite growing anger across the country pension Thursday after vowing to continue his reform in France hundreds of thousands of people are preparing to strike and demonstrate.
Pension protests against legislation raising the age by two years to 64 january gathered a large crowd at the rallies organized by the trade unions.
Unions said a ninth nationwide day of action on Thursday would draw huge crowds against what they described as Macron’s “blame” and “lies”.
Macron responded angrily on Wednesday after rejecting calls from unions and opposition parties to heed growing public anger.
“The best answer we can give to the president is to have millions of people on strike and in the streets,” said Philippe Martinez, head of the hardline CGT union.
The movement of trains will be seriously disrupted during the holiday on Thursday, weather ports will also be affected, and teachers from many professions will be out of work, strikes will continue at oil bases and among garbage collectors.
Most of the protests are peaceful, but the government last week law Anger grew after he passed his bill through parliament without a vote.
The past seven nights have seen spontaneous demonstrations in Paris and other cities where trash cans were set on fire and clashes with police.
Speaking on Wednesday, Macron said the new law was necessary and would come into effect later this year.
he pension rejected calls for the resignation of his reformist prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, and tried to turn the page by parliament tasked with expanding its majority and re-engaging with trade unions.
“He has put more explosives into an already well-burning inferno,” said Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist Party.
End protest The wave is the most serious challenge to the president’s rule since the rebellion of the “Yellow Vests” four years ago. Polls show a large majority of French oppose the pension legislation and the government’s decision to pass it through parliament without a vote.
Reporting by John Irish; Edited by David Gregorio
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2023-03-23 09:22:39
Source – reuters
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