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Strikes, Marches and Clashes in France as Pension Anger Persists Strikes, Marches and Clashes in France Amid Anger Over Pension Law
(about 3 hours later)
Huge street protests and widespread strikes rocked France on Thursday as demonstrators mounted a fierce display of resistance to a new law raising the retirement age and of fury at President Emmanuel Macron, who bypassed a full vote in Parliament to force the measure through. Huge street protests and widespread strikes rocked France on Thursday as demonstrators put on a fierce display of resistance to a new law raising the retirement age and expressed fury at President Emmanuel Macron, who bypassed a full vote in Parliament to force the measure through.
The outpouring of protest, marked by clashes with the police, came a day after Mr. Macron doubled down on pushing retirement back from 62 to 64, characterizing the reform as “unpopular” but “necessary.” But if he seemed determined not to back down, so did the protesters. The outpouring of protest, marked in some cities by violent and chaotic clashes with the police, came a day after Mr. Macron doubled down on pushing retirement back to 64 from 62, characterizing the change as “unpopular” but “necessary.”
“The government was counting on the movement losing steam,” Philippe Martinez, the leader of the Confédération Générale du Travail, France’s second-largest union, told reporters at the start of the protest in Paris on Thursday. But if the French president seemed determined not to back down, so did the protesters, pouring into the streets in numbers that neared the record-setting demonstrations seen this month when the retirement measure was being considered.
“The determination is there,” Mr. Martinez said. “The willingness to fight is there, and the objective is the same: repeal the law.” The unions said that over three million people marched around the country. The Interior Ministry offered a much lower figure, 1.09 million — but even that was more than the authorities had anticipated.
Though most marchers remained peaceful, there was a surge in violence in some cities, among them Paris, Nantes and Rennes, where groups of black-clad and masked protesters smashed windows, lit fires and threw cobblestones and bottles at the riot police, who responded with tear gas, water cannons and dispersal grenades. About 12,000 officers were deployed across France on Thursday to police the protests, including 5,000 in Paris. “The government was counting on the movement losing steam,” Philippe Martinez, the leader of the Confédération Générale du Travail, France’s second-largest union, said at the start of the protest in Paris on Thursday.
The head of the country’s largest union condemned all violence. “The determination is there,” Mr. Martinez said. “The willingness to fight is there, and the objective is the same: Repeal the law.”
“We have to keep public opinion with us until the end, Laurent Berger, the head of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor, warned at the march’s start. The day ended with a promise of still more disruption: The unions announced a 10th day of marches and strikes next Tuesday, coinciding with what may prove to be an ill-timed state visit by King Charles III of Britain.
By the time the march in Paris reached its final destination four hours later, protesters were coughing and sneezing through clouds of tear gas. The police had cordoned off most exits. Though most marchers remained peaceful, there was a surge in violence in some cities, among them Paris, Nantes and Rennes, where groups of black-clad and masked protesters smashed windows, lit fires and threw cobblestones and bottles at riot police officers. In Bordeaux, protesters set a town hall door on fire; in Lorient, they pelted a police station with rocks.
The police responded with tear gas, water cannon and dispersal grenades.
Gérald Darmanin, the French interior minister, said that nearly 150 officers were injured on Thursday and that over 170 people had been arrested around France, in protests he characterized as far more destructive.
Of those who targeted police officers, he said, “they must be condemned with the utmost force.”
Protesters, too, were injured in the clashes. In Rouen, where the authorities said 11 people were hurt, the mayor said a woman’s finger had been torn off, although the exact circumstances were unclear.
The head of the country’s largest union condemned all violence, which many French say they blame on the government.
“We have to keep public opinion with us until the end, Laurent Berger, the head of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor, warned at the march’s start in Paris.
By the time that march reached its final destination four hours later, protesters were coughing and sneezing through clouds of smoke and tear gas at the Place de l’Opéra, where phalanxes of police officers had cordoned off most exits. Firefighters rushed from fire to fire as protesters set a newsstand and heaps of trash ablaze.
Across the country, daily life was disrupted.Across the country, daily life was disrupted.
One in five teachers was on strike, train service and regional flights were reduced, and many oil refineries and fuel depots were blocked by strikers, sparking fears of gas shortages. Famous tourist spots were shuttered, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the nearby Château de Versailles. One in five teachers was on strike, train service and regional flights were reduced, and strikers blocked many oil refineries and fuel depots, setting off fears of a gas shortage. Iconic tourist spots were shuttered, including the Eiffel Tower and the Château de Versailles.
Students blocked access to dozens of high schools and universities, protesters blocked ports and roads, and electricity workers said they had briefly cut power to symbolic locations — like the president’s official summer residence in southern France. Students denied access to dozens of high schools and universities, protesters blocked ports and roads, and electric workers said they had briefly cut power to symbolic locations — including the president’s official summer residence in southern France.
It all amounted to what was clearly the biggest challenge Mr. Macron has faced since his re-election last year.It all amounted to what was clearly the biggest challenge Mr. Macron has faced since his re-election last year.
“It was a social crisis, and we have moved to a political crisis — one might even say a crisis of the regime, because the president is increasingly isolated,” said Karel Yon, a sociologist and expert on French unions and social movements at the University of Paris Nanterre. “He is no longer in control of what’s happening,” said Chloé Morin, a political analyst based in Paris. “The government can only wait for what happens next in hope that there are no deaths in the protests.”
Last week, Mr. Macron’s government survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament set off by his decision to push the retirement change through without a full vote — but Thursday made clear that the street is not done having its say. Last week, Mr. Macron’s government survived no-confidence votes in the lower house of Parliament. Since then, France has been thronged by organized union actions by day and unruly spontaneous protests out at night. These have been led mostly by youths who chant and light afire the piles of trash clogging the city because of strikes by garbage workers.
France has been thronged with protest, with organized union actions around the country and many smaller, spontaneous protests breaking out at night. These are led mostly by youths who chant and light afire the piles of garbage clogging the city because of strikes by garbage workers. “People that yesterday did not support the hooligans are now starting to think that maybe this is the right method,” said Louna Low, 26, standing on a bench at the Place de l’Opéra, where demonstrators threw rocks and bottles and dodged canisters of tear gas as the police charged at them with batons.
“The union marches have shown their limits,” said Hélène Aldeguer, a comic book artist who marched in all eight national union-organized protests before deciding to join in with the spontaneous ones. “People think that mode of protest doesn’t work.” “The nice demonstrations where people sing and all — it’s cool, but it doesn’t work,” Ms. Low said.
In his television interview on Wednesday, Mr. Macron characterized his decision to champion the retirement change as one of responsible governance. He said that he had known it would be unpopular, but that it would ensure the country’s pension system’s long-term viability. His only regret, he said, was that he hadn’t managed to get the country to agree with him. A survey published by the Odoxa polling institute on Thursday found that the majority of French say they want the protests to continue and that 70 percent believe the government has provoked violence.
While Mr. Macron said he was listening to anger rising off the street, he offered no concessions. “There aren’t 36 solutions,” he said. “This reform is necessary.” In his television interview on Wednesday, Mr. Macron characterized his decision to champion the retirement change as one of responsible governance. He said that he had known it would be unpopular, but that it would ensure the country’s pension system’s long-term viability.
Mr. Yon, the sociologist, said Mr. Macron’s inflexibility has “reactivated the feeling of a disconnect with the state and its institutions” that marked the Yellow Vest crisis of Mr. Macron’s first term. That protest movement emerged spontaneously, outside a union or political framework, amid anger over a fuel tax, then morphed into far broader and sometimes violent protests. While Mr. Macron said he was listening to anger rising off the street, he offered no concessions. His only regret, he said, was that he had not managed to get the country to agree with him.
“There aren’t 36 solutions,” he said. “This reform is necessary.”
Karel Yon, a sociologist and expert on unions and social movements at the University of Paris Nanterre, said Mr. Macron’s inflexibility has “reactivated the feeling of a disconnect with the state and its institutions” that marked the Yellow Vest crisis of Mr. Macron’s first term.
That movement emerged spontaneously, outside a union or political framework, amid anger over a fuel tax, then morphed into far broader and sometimes violent protests.
“The Yellow Vests were the only social movement of the past years that made the government back down,” Mr. Yon said.“The Yellow Vests were the only social movement of the past years that made the government back down,” Mr. Yon said.
That hope, along with fury at the intransigence of their president, is what drew thousands out to the streets on Thursday. That success, along with fury at the intransigence of their president, drew many protesters out to the streets on Thursday.
One protester, Christèle Le Manac’h, said she had been close to abandoning the fight. But then she saw Mr. Macron “smirking on national television yesterday,” she said. One protester, Christèle Le Manac’h, said she had been close to abandoning the fight until she saw Mr. Macron “smirking on national television yesterday.”
“Smiles are not welcome these days,” said Ms. Le Manac’h, 57, an export controller, who was in a crowd of protesters in Paris dotted by giant union balloons and flags. “How can he just grin while talking about our pensions?”“Smiles are not welcome these days,” said Ms. Le Manac’h, 57, an export controller, who was in a crowd of protesters in Paris dotted by giant union balloons and flags. “How can he just grin while talking about our pensions?”
Faced with enormous protests, she pointed out, the French government scrapped a youth-jobs contract in 2006 after it had become law. “It worked in 2006,” she said. “Why can’t it work now?”Faced with enormous protests, she pointed out, the French government scrapped a youth-jobs contract in 2006 after it had become law. “It worked in 2006,” she said. “Why can’t it work now?”
The government’s critics say its response to the protests has worsened the crisis, as it did during the Yellow Vest protests. Once again, there have been accusations of police brutality and reports of the large-scale corralling of demonstrators and preventive arrests.The government’s critics say its response to the protests has worsened the crisis, as it did during the Yellow Vest protests. Once again, there have been accusations of police brutality and reports of the large-scale corralling of demonstrators and preventive arrests.
Claire Hédon, France’s defender of rights — an official ombudsman whom citizens can petition if they believe their rights have been violated — said this week that she was “worried” by videos circulating on social media and by reports of police misconduct. She pledged to “remain vigilant.” Claire Hédon, France’s defender of rights — an official ombudsman whom citizens can petition if they believe their rights have been violated — said this week that she was “worried” by reports of police misconduct in the news media and on social media. She pledged to “remain vigilant.”
Some believe that despite the fierce public passions, the retirement law’s opponents have already lost the battle. Reading from a joint statement at a news conference on Thursday evening, Marylise Léon, a top union official, accused Mr. Macron of “incomprehensible stubbornness” and of ignoring “many alternatives” to an increase in the retirement age that unions had suggested.
“The responsibility for the explosive situation does not lie with labor unions,” Ms. Léon said, “but with the government.”
Still, some say they believe that despite the fierce public passions, the retirement law’s opponents have already lost the battle.
“The unions did everything to maintain unity, to mobilize, and they did that very well,” said Guy Groux, a sociologist at Sciences Po who specializes in political activism and trade unions. “But the reform has been pushed through and will stand until the Constitutional Council rules on it in one month.”“The unions did everything to maintain unity, to mobilize, and they did that very well,” said Guy Groux, a sociologist at Sciences Po who specializes in political activism and trade unions. “But the reform has been pushed through and will stand until the Constitutional Council rules on it in one month.”
Opponents of Mr. Macron have filed legal challenges against his pension overhaul with the council, which examines legislation to ensure it complies with the Constitution.Opponents of Mr. Macron have filed legal challenges against his pension overhaul with the council, which examines legislation to ensure it complies with the Constitution.
Mr. Groux predicted that, like past protests against changes to the much-lauded French retirement system, the movement new would fizzle — even the spontaneous protests — “and Macron will still have four more years as president of France.” Mr. Groux predicted that, like past protests against changes to the much-lauded French retirement system, the movement would fizzle — even the spontaneous protests — “and Macron will still have four more years as president of France.”
Even if that is the case, Mr. Macron’s party, Renaissance, and its centrist allies have only a slim majority in Parliament, and the dispute over pensions has added to doubts about his ability to get his policies enacted. Many protesters, like Antoine Rogé-Picard, 29, strongly disagreed. Mr. Rogé-Picard, a video game blogger, was in the bulk of the dense crowd in Paris, far from the violence.
Already, the government has been forced to postpone an immigration bill that was supposed to come up for debate in the Senate, France’s upper house, next week, because it was unclear whether a majority of lawmakers will back it. “The streets will win,” he said.
Mr. Macron’s allies say they are confident the turbulence is temporary.
Sacha Houlié, a Renaissance lawmaker who leads the National Assembly’s law committee, acknowledged that the government had failed to convince people about the merits of the pension law, but he noted that it had gotten other laws through the lower house despite its weak majority, like a new nuclear investment plan that was adopted with a large majority this week, one day after the cabinet narrowly survived the no-confidence vote.
“There are political difficulties that are significant, there is a social crisis which is important," Mr. Houlié said. “But the idea that we’re now blocked is false.”
Mr. Macron has asked his prime minister to seek out lawmakers from other parties still willing to work with his majority on some bills, but opponents do not seem eager to cooperate.
“Emmanuel Macron has brought the country into a political and social dead end,” Olivier Faure, the head of the Socialist Party, told the newspaper Libération on Thursday. “Who wants to govern with him?”
Constant Méheut, Tom Nouvian and Liz Alderman contributed reporting.Constant Méheut, Tom Nouvian and Liz Alderman contributed reporting.