French authorities: 1.27 million people took part in protests against the proposed pension reforms

Approximately 1.27 million individuals participated in protests across France on Tuesday, as reported by the Interior Ministry.

This marked a significant increase in participation compared to previous demonstrations opposing President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed pension reform, which involves increasing the retirement age by two years.

The success of the protests was attributed to the efforts of eight union organizations.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was compelled to acknowledge the public’s concerns and objections to the reforms. The unions have announced plans to hold additional protests on the 7th and 11th of February.

In response to the nationwide protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed pension reform, Patricia Drevon of the Workers’ Force union stated that “the government must withdraw its reform in the face of massive rejection.” The Interior Ministry reported that an estimated 1.27 million people participated in the protests, a number exceeded by the CGT union’s claim of 2.8 million. The strikes and protests posed a significant challenge for both Macron and his opponents. Despite the government’s determination to push through the reforms, strong opposition from labor unions and left-wing legislators is expected to increase efforts to block the bill, which would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

In a conciliatory move, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne acknowledged the “questions and doubts” raised by the reforms, tweeting that the debate in parliament would “allow us to enrich our project.” However, this may not result in a full withdrawal as demanded by protesters.

In Paris, 87,000 people participated in the protest, with 11,000 police on duty for an estimated 250 nationwide protests. Despite peaceful demonstrations in most cities, scattered clashes between radicals and police were reported, with 30 arrests made.

Strikes also disrupted services across France, with SNCF reporting cancelled trains and the Paris Metro being hard hit by station closures and cancellations. Power workers demonstrated their support for the strikes by temporarily reducing electricity supplies without causing blackouts. Schools and media outlets were also impacted by walkouts.

Protesters, including civil servant Jamila Sariac and construction worker Said Belaiba, spoke out against the planned reform, with Sariac stating that “social protection is a milestone of our society, a milestone that the government wants to break.” Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melenchon described the protests as “a form of citizens’ insurrection.” The eight unions organizing the protests announced plans for new demonstrations on Feb. 7 and Feb. 11.