Protesters march across France against Macron and his pension bill

Record ID: 1717457

  • Title: Protesters march across France against Macron and his pension bill
  • Date: 28th March 2023
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 28, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RAILWAY WORKERS PROTESTING AGAINST PENSION REFORM MARCHING ON TRAIN TRACKS AT GARE DE LYON STATION, SOME HOLDING FLARES MAN WEARING ORANGE VEST WITH LOGO OF SNCF RAIL OPERATOR WALKING PROTESTERS WALKING ON TRACKS, FLARE SMOKE PROTESTERS WALKING ON TRACKS
  • Embargoed: 11th April 2023 15:54
  • Keywords: France Macron Protest fire pensions reforms
  • Location: VARIOUS, FRANCE
  • City: VARIOUS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Civil Unrest,Editors' Choice
  • Reuters ID: LVA005093028032023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS WRAP AND CONTAINS NO NEW MATERIAL
    French protesters blocked train tracks and highways, and clashed with police in some cities, as they marched across the country on Tuesday (March 28) against President Emmanuel Macron and his deeply unpopular pension bill.
    In the western city of Nantes, the boarded-up front of a BNP Paribas bank branch was set on fire. A car was set on fire in the margins of the rally, while some shot fireworks at police.
    In Paris and in Marseille, protesters blocked train tracks for a while.
    Earlier in the day, the government rejected a new demand by unions to suspend and rethink the pension bill, which will delay retirement age by two years to 64, infuriating labor leaders who said the government must find a way out of the crisis.
    The government said it was more than willing to talk to unions, but on other topics, and repeated it would stand firm on the pension front.
    Macron, who promised to deliver pension reform in both of his presidential campaigns, says change is needed to keep the country's finances in balance.
    Unions and opposition parties say there are other ways to do that.
    Millions of people have been demonstrating and joining strike action since mid-January to show their opposition to the bill.
    But public frustration has evolved into broader anti-Macron sentiment.
    In particular, the protests have intensified since the government used special powers to push the bill through parliament without a vote.
    (Production: Olga Vyshnevska)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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