Thousands of people take to the streets in France to join the great march against Macron’s pension reform

The French Justice allows the Police to use drones during the protests in Paris

1 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –

Thousands of people have taken to the streets again this Monday in the main cities of France to protest against the pension reform of the Government of Emmanuel Macron, promulgated on April 15, on the occasion of International Workers’ Day.

The unions have called more than 300 protests and demonstrations throughout the country despite the fact that the reform — which delays the retirement age to 64 years — has already been approved. In total, they estimate that more than 1.5 million people could join the marches.

The Government, which considers the matter settled, continues to confront the position of workers and unions, who insist on continuing to protest to prevent the measure from entering into force, a process scheduled for September 1.

The protests have been taking place throughout the weekend and have even caused interruptions and cuts in air traffic in the country, with about 30 percent of flights cancelled.

It is estimated that in Paris alone, the capital, more than 100,000 people have taken to the streets, which is why the Police have proceeded to deploy more than 5,000 Riot Police officers.

The protesters, who have already staged some clashes with the agents, have thrown paint against the facade of the Ritz hotel and the Ministry of Justice in the Vendome square in the city center. The action, claimed by the activists of the Última Renovación group, aims to protest “against the rich and in solidarity with the workers”, as they have explained.

USE OF DRONES DURING PROTESTS

This same Monday, the administrative court of Paris has validated the use of drones to supervise the demonstration and despite the fact that several organizations in defense of freedoms have requested the suspension of the use of drones by the Police on the grounds that “it could threaten fundamental freedoms”, according to information in the newspaper ‘Le Parisien’.

In other cities, such as Le Havre, the Court has limited its use and limited it to certain time slots. Thus, they can only be used between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (local time), and not from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., as previously planned.

The French government has indicated that it plans to invite the unions to sit at the table and talk “over the next few days” in an attempt to reduce the tension. The Labor Minister, Olivier Dussopt, has indicated that “we must listen to the messages that are sent” and has advocated dialogue.

In this sense, he has assured that the Police “do not get involved in provocations during the marches” and has assured that the problem is not the agents but “the possibility of violence”. “The problem is not the Police, it’s the violent ones. I don’t confuse them with the protesters,” she clarified in statements collected by the BFMTV television network.

From the unions, however, they have warned that “there will be no movement until the reform is withdrawn.” “This May 1 is a turning point, we have to be there. It serves to put our aspirations on the political agenda: better wages, equality between men and women and better working conditions,” they have pointed out.