While the police responded with tear gas to the pension reform protests held in about 200 cities and towns in France, 30 people were detained in the incidents.
Protests against the pension reform, which envisages raising the retirement age gradually from 62 to 64, continue in France.
Although the protests were generally peaceful, there were occasional clashes between the police and radical groups.
Police Used Gas and Cops: 30 Detentions
Police used tear gas and batons to disperse extremist groups in parts of the capital, Paris, including Les Invalides, where Napoleon’s tomb is located. It was stated that 30 people were detained in the incidents.
While the French Ministry of Interior announced that 1.27 million people participated in the protests across the country, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) stated that 2.8 million people supported the demonstrations.
Nearly 87 Thousand People Participated in the Protests
In the statement made by the police, it was stated that between 80 thousand and 87 thousand people participated in the demonstrations in Paris. While 11 thousand police officers were on duty across the country due to the demonstrations, 8 big unions supported the protests.
Schools, public transport, power stations and oil refineries were affected as thousands of workers went on strike. TotalEnergies announced that at least three-quarters of workers at oil refineries and fuel depots have quit their jobs. France’s electricity supply decreased by about 5 percent, or 3.3 gigawatts (GW), as workers at nuclear reactors and thermal power plants joined the strike, according to energy company EDF data.
In Order to Retire, It Will Be Necessary to Have Worked for 43 Years As of 2027
According to the controversial law, the retirement age in France will be gradually increased by 3 months a year from September this year, reaching 63 years 3 months in 2027 and 64 years in 2030. In order to retire in the country, it will be necessary to have worked for 43 years from 2027. The retirement age of 62 in France is lower than in many other countries in Western Europe. The retirement age is 65 in Spain and 66 in the UK, while Italy and Germany plan to raise the retirement age to 67.
