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Macron Faces First Big Street Protests, a Challenge to His Labor Reforms Macron Faces First Big Street Protests, a Challenge to His Labor Overhaul
(about 4 hours later)
PARIS — The first big street protests since France’s new president, Emmanuel Macron, took office in May unfolded in cities across the country on Tuesday, as union members went on strike to protest government plans to overhaul labor regulations. PARIS — Thousands turned out Tuesday for mass demonstrations intended to protest the country’s new labor code, but by day’s end the anger seemed directed more specifically at its author: President Emmanuel Macron, whose ambition for change has unnerved many in France.
Large street demonstrations last year helped pressure Mr. Macron’s predecessor, François Hollande, to dilute a plan to overhaul the notoriously complex labor code. The latest rallies are a test of Mr. Macron’s resolve to revamp the French economy and of his opponents’ ability to mobilize against him. The rallies were the first major street protests faced by Mr. Macron, and a barometer of the public’s reaction to him. The crowd size was about what had been expected, and smaller than demonstrations last year against changes in labor laws.
But the demonstrations also gave a chance for those angry at the government to express frustrations about other issues, including budget cuts, plans to reform the pension system, and Mr. Macron’s own style of governing. But they nonetheless indicated the challenges ahead for Mr. Macron, who has seen his popularity plunge since upsetting France’s political landscape in May by winning the presidency and creating a new political party, which won a majority of seats in Parliament.
Mr. Macron, however, was nowhere near the protests. He arrived in the Caribbean on Tuesday to visit the French islands of St. Martin and St. Barthélemy, after they were hit by Hurricane Irma last week. On Tuesday, Mr. Macron was nowhere near the protests, but rather was visiting the French islands of St. Martin and St. Barthélemy in the Caribbean, after they were hit by Hurricane Irma last week. Still, the president was ever-present in the streets.
Protests took place in Lyon, Nantes, Toulouse and a dozen other cities, led by unions and left-wing parties who say that worker rights would being watered down by the overhaul of the French labor code, which is known as the Code du Travail. He, rather than any specific change to the labor code, was the most frequent target of criticism, particularly over what has been perceived as a dismissive and insulting attitude toward workers. That included recent remarks that were interpreted as implying that opponents of his labor law were lazy.
More than 60,000 people demonstrated on the streets of Paris, according to unions, who called the protests a success. The Paris police prefecture said the figure was closer to 24,000. Toting signs and chanting, people seemed more preoccupied with Mr. Macron than with the law. “Macron you are rotten, the slackers are in the streets,” some chanted at rallies in Paris.
Tear gas was fired and rocks were thrown during sporadic clashes between police and small groups of protesters on the fringes of the main march in Paris, but the overall mood was calm. Last year, weeks of protests against similar labor changes were sometimes marred by violence. The taunt played on remarks Mr. Macron made last week in Greece, saying he was determined not to cede anything, “neither to slackers, nor to cynics, nor extremists.”
Although Mr. Macron didn’t specify exactly to whom he was alluding with the remark, he later claimed that he meant “all of those who for the past 15 years have said we mustn’t move in France and in Europe.” Many opponents of his changes nonetheless felt personally outraged and aggrieved.
“I’ve been working for the past 32 years. I wake up everyday at 5 a.m. I’m no slacker and my work is hard,” Serge Amely, 50, a nurse’s aide, said at the demonstration on Tuesday, adding that he felt the comments were “unworthy” of a leader.
In addition to union members, some supporters of the far-left France Unbowed movement, which is headed by the former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, also turned out for the march.
Their focus, too, appeared to be less the labor law and more the future belt-tightening that Mr. Macron has promised, as well as his style of governing.
Organizers said they would stage more demonstrations in the coming weeks — the next one on Sept. 23. That leaves open the possibility that numbers in the streets could build.
More than 60,000 people demonstrated in Paris on Tuesday, according to unions, who called the protests a success. The Paris police prefecture said the figure was closer to 24,000. There were smaller protests in more than 180 cities, towns and communities around France.
The overall mood was calm, though law enforcement officials used tear gas and protesters sometimes threw rocks during sporadic clashes on the fringes of the main march in Paris. Last year, weeks of protests against similar labor changes were sometimes marred by violence.
The changes to the labor code would loosen regulations for small companies, make it easier to hire and fire employees, and enable businesses to negotiate certain workplace issues at the company level rather than having to abide by industrywide agreements.The changes to the labor code would loosen regulations for small companies, make it easier to hire and fire employees, and enable businesses to negotiate certain workplace issues at the company level rather than having to abide by industrywide agreements.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the founder of the left-wing France Unbowed party, said on Tuesday that Mr. Macron “can and must back down.” France Unbowed is organizing a separate demonstration against the labor overhaul on Sept. 23. Mr. Mélenchon said on Tuesday that Mr. Macron “can and must back down.”
“This isn’t our last stand,” Mr. Mélenchon told reporters at a demonstration in the southern city of Marseille, which he represents in the lower house of Parliament. “We are organizing a relentless defense of the labor code.” “This isn’t our last stand,” Mr. Mélenchon told reporters at a demonstration in the southern city of Marseille, part of the area he represents in the lower house of Parliament. “We are organizing a relentless defense of the labor code.”
But the government is not expected to budge. Mr. Macron is enacting the overhaul to the labor rules by decree, and the changes are expected to be implemented this month.But the government is not expected to budge. Mr. Macron is enacting the overhaul to the labor rules by decree, and the changes are expected to be implemented this month.
Also, opponents of the new labor rules have been divided in their response. Among the major French unions, only the hard-line General Confederation of Labor, or C.G.T., called on its members to demonstrate on Tuesday. Undercutting the protests’ impact are union divisions, with only one major union mounting a full-throated opposition.
Victor Mendez, 46, a railway engineer who was been a member of the C.G.T. for the past three years, said during the rally in Paris that he was opposed to Mr. Macron creating “disposable workers.” Only the hard-line General Confederation of Labor, or C.G.T., called on its members to demonstrate on Tuesday. Several other major unions chose to compromise with the government and try to shape its policies to make them more acceptable to workers.
“It’s hard to get a job, but it has become so easy to get fired,” he said.
Top leadership at the more moderate unions, who were not entirely happy with the changes but welcomed the summer-long talks the government held to explain them, had not called on their members to protest.
Many among the rank-and-file in those unions seemed to have gone anyway, like Patrice Quillet, 52, a chemical industry union representative in the Force Ouvrière, who said “there’s nothing good in this reform.”
The demonstrations on Tuesday were called to focus attention on the changes to the labor code, which would directly affect workers in the private sector.
Some groups are joining the rallies to protest against other measures planned by Mr. Macron’s government, including budget cuts for civil servants and cuts in housing subsidies for students.
Existing anger against Mr. Macron was amplified last week when he said, in a speech in Greece, that those who opposed the changes for France were “slackers” or “cynics.”
Although Mr. Macron didn’t specify whom he was targeting — and although he later added that he meant “all of those who for the past 15 years have said we mustn’t move in France and in Europe” — some citizens felt affronted, including Serge Amely, a 50-year-old nurse’s aid who said that he felt the comments were “unworthy of a leader.”
“I’ve been working for the past 32 years, I wake up everyday at 5 a.m., I’m no slacker and my work is difficult,” Mr. Amely said during the demonstration in Paris, where dozens held signs that read “Slackers of all countries, unite!” or chanted “Macron, president of the bosses!”
Alain Cure, a 66-year-old elementary-school principal in Paris and a union member, said it was “important to show that we, as union workers, are united.”Alain Cure, a 66-year-old elementary-school principal in Paris and a union member, said it was “important to show that we, as union workers, are united.”
Mr. Cure, who was waiting for a march to start on the Place de la Bastille in Paris, said that, although the labor changes would not affect him, it was important to send a message ahead of other planned changes. Mr. Macron’s government is also planning to overhaul France’s pension and unemployment systems. Mr. Cure, who was waiting for a march to start on the Place de la Bastille in Paris, said that although the labor overhaul would not affect him, it was important to send a message ahead of other planned changes. Mr. Macron’s government is also planning to overhaul France’s pension and unemployment systems.
“If Macron passes the reforms, then he will have more powers to pass further reforms,” Mr. Cure said.“If Macron passes the reforms, then he will have more powers to pass further reforms,” Mr. Cure said.