French protests have sparked once again in effort to convince President Emmanuel Macron to nullify proposed pension reform plans. Rat catchers in Paris were scene hurling rodent cadavers at City Hall in opposition of raising the national retirement age from 62 to 64.
A leader of the public services division of the CGT trade union, Natacha Pommet explained that “the hard reality of their mission” sought to be displayed by the Paris rat catchers, and that the rage over Macron’s pension reform is transforming into a broader crusade of employees voicing grievances regarding pay and other problems.
“All this anger brings together all types of anger,” Pommet exclaimed in a recent phone interview.
Multiple rounds of nationwide protests and strikes have failed to persuade Macron to divert course. As of Thursday, there was no sign the government would back down on what was the 11th bout of unrest since January.
Discussions amongst Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and trade union leaders evaporated without breakthrough on Wednesday, leading to a return of protesters in the streets.
Roughly 100 demonstrators barricaded a road at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport and entered the terminal building, according to an airport operator. While flights were unaffected, travelers were forced to circumvent flag-waving protesters.
A CGT representative at the airport told BFM-TV that it was the demonstrators’ intentions “to show the world and Europe that we don’t want to work to 64 years old.”
Add comment