From tiny islands to major cities, demonstrators poured by the thousands into France's streets Tuesday in the latest clash of wills with the government over its plans to push back the retirement age. Labor unions aimed to mobilize more than 1 million protesters in what one veteran left-wing leader described as a “citizens' insurrection.'
Published Tuesday, January 31, 2023 9:12AM EST
The nationwide strikes and protests are a crucial test both for President Emmanuel Macron’s government and its opponents. The government says it is determined to push through Macron's election pledge to reform France's pension system. Labor unions and left-wing legislators fighting in parliament against Macron's plans were counting on protesters to turn out massively to strengthen their efforts to kill the bill that that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
“It's not often that we see such a mass mobilization," Mélenchon, speaking in the southern city of Marseille. “It's a form of citizens' insurrection.” Speaking by phone with The Associated Press, Palluel said the prospect of having to work longer alarmed mariners on the island with arduous ocean-going jobs.A first round of strikes and protests brought out between 1 and 2 million demonstrators earlier this month, including many tens of thousands in Paris. Labor leaders were aiming to at least match and even better those numbers Tuesday, with around 250 demonstrations expected around the country.
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