By Chris King • Updated: 19 Jan 2023 • 19:50
Image of French President Macron. Credit: Victor Joly/Shutterstock.com
France is in turmoil this evening, Thursday, January 19, after the eight biggest trade unions called a united front for a massive wave of strikes and protests. More than 200 actions are reported to be taking place in major cities across the country.
France’s Interior Ministry said it had counted 1.12 million demonstrators in France as a whole including 80,000 in Paris. The Hardline CGT union meanwhile claimed that at least 400,000 had turned out in Paris. It also claimed that 40,000 people marched in Lyon, 30,000 in Toulouse, 26,000 in Marseille, 15,000 in Montpellier, and 14,000 in Tours, as reported by lemonde.fr.
Speaking with Agence France Presse, Philippe Martinez, the head of the CGT, told the outlet that ‘over two million’ people had marched across the country today.
🚨#BREAKING: Riots ongoing in the middle of the protest against the pension reform in #France. pic.twitter.com/QoVY975FUH — Breaking News 24/7 (@Worldsource24) January 19, 2023
🚨#BREAKING: Riots ongoing in the middle of the protest against the pension reform in #France. pic.twitter.com/QoVY975FUH
— Breaking News 24/7 (@Worldsource24) January 19, 2023
⚡️A wave of protest actions against the pension reform, which provides for raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years of age, has spread in France today, — RFI. pic.twitter.com/vJCaSgDYPZ — FLASH (@Flash_news_ua) January 19, 2023
⚡️A wave of protest actions against the pension reform, which provides for raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years of age, has spread in France today, — RFI. pic.twitter.com/vJCaSgDYPZ
— FLASH (@Flash_news_ua) January 19, 2023
🚨#BREAKING: A group of demonstrators against the pension reform broke away from the main procession. Damage was done to shop windows in #Rennes, #France. pic.twitter.com/S4poo00r0R — Breaking News 24/7 (@Worldsource24) January 19, 2023
🚨#BREAKING: A group of demonstrators against the pension reform broke away from the main procession. Damage was done to shop windows in #Rennes, #France. pic.twitter.com/S4poo00r0R
The demonstrations are a result of President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that his government wants to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. One of the unions involved in the protests has allegedly even threatened to cut the electricity to lawmakers and billionaires.
Violence has reportedly flared in several locations in French cities with riot police firing tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds. In Paris, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and Nantes, train services, flights, schools and businesses are said to have been disrupted.
“We must do that reform. We will do it with respect, in a spirit of dialogue, but also determination and responsibility”, Macron said today during a press conference at a French-Spanish summit in Barcelona.
Demonstrations involving an estimated 30,000 people were also staged in the Catalan capital. Pro-independence protesters took to the streets to show their disapproval of Macron’s meeting with Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez.
Consulat de França a Barcelona👇🏻 Ni França, ni Espanya, Països Catalans.💙💛❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/s9zc6PP94D — Rai López Calvet (@RaiLopezCalvet) January 19, 2023
Consulat de França a Barcelona👇🏻
Ni França, ni Espanya, Països Catalans.💙💛❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/s9zc6PP94D
— Rai López Calvet (@RaiLopezCalvet) January 19, 2023
___________________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.