New clashes broke out on Tuesday in France in protests against pension reform of the liberal president Emmanuel Macronwhose government rejected the request for “mediation” to find a way out of the increasingly violent social conflict.
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets again to demand the withdrawal of this law in protests that saw clashes between radical protesters and security forces in cities like Rennes, Nantes and Paris.
In the capital, security forces fired tear gas at hundreds of people, dressed in black and with their faces covered, who ransacked a store and set garbage on fire, reporters from AFP.
The tension has intensified since the Liberal president decided on March 16 to adopt by decree the delay of the retirement age from 62 to 64 years and the increase to 43 years of contribution to collect a full pension by 2027.
On Thursday, there were already 457 detainees and 441 police officers and gendarmes injured, according to the authorities, in a context of criticism of police action by human rights NGOs and even the Council of Europe.
The images of a pitched battle returned to the front page on Saturday during protests against an agricultural dam destined for agribusiness in Sainte-Soline (central-west), which left two protesters in a coma.
In both cases, “there is a disproportionate use of force that we had already denounced during [la protesta social en 2018 y 2019 de] the yellow vests,” he told the AFP Jean-Claude Samouillerfrom the NGO Amnesty International.
The Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmaninmobilized 13,000 agents on Tuesday in an “unprecedented security device” and warned of the presence in Paris of “more than 10,000 radicals, some from abroad.”
Pending official data, the CGT union has already announced some 450,000 protesters in Paris. Police expect between 650,000 and 900,000 throughout Franceless than the previous day of protests on March 23.
“Enough of the denials!”
The authorities have been making efforts in recent days to criminalize the protests and undermine support for them in public opinion, which holds Macron responsible for not wanting to hear the rejection of his plan.
At the same time, the government and the unions say they are looking for a way to calm things down, but are firm in their positions: the union centrals want the withdrawal or suspension of the reform, and the government says no.
The government spokesman, Olivier Veranrejected on Tuesday the latest union proposal to seek “mediation” to find a way out and stated that they can “talk directly.”
“Enough of the refusals!” replied the leader of the moderate CFDT union, laurent bergerwho had raised that idea that instead obtained the support of one of Macron’s main allies: the centrist party Modem.
The liberal president is under pressure. His government defends that the reform is crucial to avoid a deficit in the pension fund, but it lacks union and popular support, and uncertain support in Parliament.
Awaiting the opinion in April of the Constitutional Council On its validity, Macron seeks to quickly turn the page with other priorities such as health, education and guaranteeing a stable majority in Parliament.
Meanwhile, the unions are not throwing in the towel. “The movement is not exhausted,” warned from Clermont-Ferrand (center), the leader of the CGT, Philippe Martinezwho highlighted the participation of “many young people” in the marches.
“I’m still very young, but the government’s reaction (…) has made me want to fight,” he told the AFP simeon ronziera 20-year-old student, in Lille (north).
In 2006, youth and union mobilization managed to get the then government to withdraw a controversial youth contract adopted by decree.
In addition to the blockade of high schools and universities, the protests have also taken multiple forms for weeks: drops in electricity production, 15% of gas stations without fuel, trains and flights cancelled, public transport in Paris disrupted and even the Eiffel Tower closed this Tuesday.
The garbage collectors of Paris decided to end next Wednesday a three-week strike, which left thousands of tons of garbage accumulated in the streets, but with the aim of returning to the fight “with more force”, according to the CGT.
(With information from AFP)
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Source-www.infobae.com