France is currently revisiting its history. Remember the 1779 revolution that changed France forever? Incidentally, the European country is on the cusp of yet another revolution, this time the 2023 French Pension Reform Protests.
Hundreds of thousands continue taking to the streets and roads to protest a raise in the pension age. President Emmanuel Macron’s decision hasn’t gone well with the French nation. Authorities fear more violent skirmishes with police on Tuesday as protestors get more steam with each passing day.
French President Emmanuel Macron used his executive powers to increase the pension age in France, which people deem unconstitutional and totally uncalled for.
The 2023 French pension reform protests are like Revolution 2.0 for France. It all started when President Macron raised the pension age from 62 to 64, which has inflicted the biggest domestic crisis for his second term in the office.
Authorities fear demonstrators will likely hit refineries, rail transport, air travel, schools, and bin collections on Tuesday. Law enforcement agencies in Paris and several other adjoining cities have braced themselves up to tackle the massive protests.
The 2023 French pension reform strike was initially a peaceful procession. However, it all got intensified after police and other law enforcement agencies resorted to arbitrary arrests, and heavy-handedness, thereby causing injuries to hundreds of protestors.
Police Torture Lands One in a Coma
The policing tactics for crowd control during the 2023 French pension reform strike left a 30-year-old French in a coma on Monday, fighting for his life. The protests, which started against the pension age raise, spread to environmental demonstrations at the weekend in Western France. The impact of new water storage facilities for crop irrigation instigated the protests.
17 Investigations Underway: IGPN
While the investigations are underway, the 30-year-old man suffered severe head injuries which led him to a coma. According to the IGPN, a total of 17 investigations have been initiated into the incidents and accusations against police departments across the country in recent days.
Lawyers Write Open Letter to Le Monde
In an important development, over 30 lawyers on Monday dispatched an open letter to Le Monde recording their concern over arbitrary arrests of hundreds of French protestors. They also accused the police of using the judicial system and arrests as a means to keep people from holding demonstrations.
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On the other hand, the head of Paris Police has termed all the arrests as justified. Similarly, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin claimed several cops had been injured during the Paris protests.
Meanwhile, the Council of Europe on Friday called for the protection of peaceful protestors and journalists from arbitrary arrests and police violence.
Violence Spreads Fast to Other French Cities
The protests have spread quickly to many other cities and towns, which experience power shutdowns, fires on the streets, and vandalism.
Moreover, attacks on constituency offices of politicians have also been reported. The attacks have been on the rise ever since Marcon decided to change the pension age without the approval of the lower house of parliament.
Apart from the politicians’ offices, protestors have also started targeting public buildings, such as Bordeaux City Hall and a police station in Lorient.
The Louvre Museum in Paris couldn’t open to the public on Monday due to a rise in protests and strikes by trade unions. Museum workers, who went on strike, stopped authorities from opening the museum.
Air Operations Affected
French civil aviation authority has informed airlines at airports in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Toulouse to cancel 20% of air traffic for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Marcon Summons PM Borne
President Marcon summoned Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and senior government officials for many crisis meetings Monday.
Amid rising tensions in the country, President Marcon couldn’t host King Charles III for a day of pomp and ceremony. The cancellation has sparked outrage from the country’s opposition politicians. They termed the cancellation as damaging to France’s image and diplomacy.
PM Borne has made it clear that the government would not drop the pension changes. However, she extended an offer to hold talks with trade unions on other labor issues, such as conditions for older workers, demanding jobs, and retraining.
On the contrary, Laurent Berger, who heads the moderate CFDT union, took a hard line, saying he would accept the negotiation offer only after the reform was set aside.
French Pension Reform Protests: Key Takeaways
As France protests change to retirement age, the Paris protests today turned more violent. The government has refused to bow down to the demands while trade unions want the government to set aside the reform before holding talks with protestors. The French Pension Reform Protests have affected air operations, education, healthcare, and many other sectors and no end is in sight.
By the looks of what’s going on in France, it certainly looks like a French Revolution 2.0.
[…] ALSO READ: On the Cusp of Revolution 2.0: French Pension Reform Protests Turn Violent […]