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A million people demonstrated in France against pension reform

A million people demonstrated in France against pension reform

According to official figures, more than a million people have taken to the streets in France to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform. The Interior Ministry spoke of about 1.09 million demonstrators across the country on Thursday.

According to the CGT union, about 3.5 million people have taken part in strikes and protests. In many cities, the mood was partly heated, and there were also sporadic riots.

The streets were lit on fire. The police used tear gas against the demonstrators. As videos on social media show, protesters set fire to Bordeaux’s city hall on Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the responsible prefecture told dpa on Thursday evening that the portico gate leading to the forecourt of the town hall was damaged. A man has been arrested.

Pension reform is one of the main projects of President Macron. The government wants to gradually raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

In addition, the number of years of payment required to obtain a full pension should increase more rapidly. The aim is to avoid the imminent funding gap in the Pension Fund. The unions considered the project unfair and brutal.