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| Emmanuel Macron faces 200 protests across France over pension changes | Emmanuel Macron faces 200 protests across France over pension changes |
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| Police gear up for march of hundreds of thousands in Paris as anger grows over president’s ‘arrogance’ | Police gear up for march of hundreds of thousands in Paris as anger grows over president’s ‘arrogance’ |
| Emmanuel Macron was expected to feel the full force of French anger on Thursday as protesters gathered across the country to demonstrate their opposition to the pension age being raised from 62 to 64. | Emmanuel Macron was expected to feel the full force of French anger on Thursday as protesters gathered across the country to demonstrate their opposition to the pension age being raised from 62 to 64. |
| Even before the president’s centrist government pushed the fiercely contested legislation through parliament using a constitutional measure that avoided a vote a week ago, record numbers of workers had taken to the streets. | Even before the president’s centrist government pushed the fiercely contested legislation through parliament using a constitutional measure that avoided a vote a week ago, record numbers of workers had taken to the streets. |
| Since then, Macron’s administration has narrowly survived a vote of no confidence – by nine votes – but the way the law was passed has inflamed the public mood. | Since then, Macron’s administration has narrowly survived a vote of no confidence – by nine votes – but the way the law was passed has inflamed the public mood. |
| On Thursday, police had been notified of more than 200 protests across France and were gearing up for a massive turnout of hundreds of thousands of people at the main march in Paris. Along the route from Bastille to the opera house, the main east-west axis across the north of the city, shops, banks and businesses were boarded up early in the morning and vanloads of police and gendarmes stationed along roads. | |
| Protesters have been galvanised by Macron’s appearance on television on Wednesday in which he said the protests were “legitimate” but would not lead to a U-turn on the controversial law, which not only raises the official retirement age but requires workers to contribute into the pension system for longer. | Protesters have been galvanised by Macron’s appearance on television on Wednesday in which he said the protests were “legitimate” but would not lead to a U-turn on the controversial law, which not only raises the official retirement age but requires workers to contribute into the pension system for longer. |
| The president was accused of showing “contempt and arrogance” for those opposed to the changes, which were a keystone of his re-election campaign last year. | The president was accused of showing “contempt and arrogance” for those opposed to the changes, which were a keystone of his re-election campaign last year. |
| Widespread strikes and industrial action led to major transport disruption on the roads and in the air, with flights cancelled. Airport authorities said the protests would have a knock-on effect on the weekend’s flights, with up to 30% of those scheduled to depart from Orly, south of Paris, cancelled on Friday and Saturday along with up to 20% of departures from Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon. Protesters blocked terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle airport north of Paris on Thursday morning. | |
| Schools have closed and colleges were blocked around France including in Paris, Rouen, Marseille and Toulouse. | Schools have closed and colleges were blocked around France including in Paris, Rouen, Marseille and Toulouse. |
| In his 30-minute televised interview on Wednesday, Macron ruled out the dissolution of parliament, a reshuffle of his centrist government and the resignation of his prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, as the opposition has demanded. | In his 30-minute televised interview on Wednesday, Macron ruled out the dissolution of parliament, a reshuffle of his centrist government and the resignation of his prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, as the opposition has demanded. |
| He said his only regret was “that I have not succeeded in convincing people of the necessity of this reform”. | He said his only regret was “that I have not succeeded in convincing people of the necessity of this reform”. |
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| Valérie Rabault, the president of the Socialist party group in the national assembly, called on Macron to order a final debate in parliament before the pensions law is enacted. | Valérie Rabault, the president of the Socialist party group in the national assembly, called on Macron to order a final debate in parliament before the pensions law is enacted. |
| “We’re putting all the options on the table. We have entered a very serious democratic crisis less than a year since the president of the republic was elected,” she said, adding that the “blockades damage our democracy and damage France’s image abroad”. | |
| Marie Buisson of the powerful General Confederation of Labour union told France Info radio that protesters were “determined”. “Since the [law] was passed by force there is anger,” she said. “Our objective is for the maximum number of people stop work.” |