Public services will grind to a halt in France today as more than a million people are expected to return to the streets in protest at President Macron’s pension reform, which he defended as an unpleasant duty yesterday.
Some 12,000 police officers have been deployed to curb predicted violence after a week of spontaneous riots in Paris and other cities against the deeply unpopular retirement revamp that Macron imposed without a parliamentary vote last week. The government fears the re-emergence of a violent grassroots revolt like the gilets jaunes [yellow vests] insurrection of 2018-2019.
#France Firefighters on strike join the demonstration in Opéra’s square in #Paris, where the crowd is chanting “Everybody love the firefighters”. The firefighters forced riot police units to back down. pic.twitter.com/nay2TrFe72
— Arthur Morgan (@ArthurM40330824) March 23, 2023
In France Riot-Police joined the protesters. Soon everywhere. pic.twitter.com/vRzBfcb8nv
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) March 23, 2023
