At least 1.1 million people protested on the streets of Paris and other French cities on Thursday amid nationwide strikes against the government’s plans to raise the retirement age. However, President Emmanuel Macron insisted he would press ahead with the proposed pension reforms.
French unions have announced new strikes and protests, vowing to try to get the government to back down on plans to push up the standard retirement age from 62 to 64. Out of the country for a French-Spanish summit in Barcelona, President Macron said, the measure, a central pillar of his second term, is needed to keep the pension system financially viable. However, unions say it threatens hard-fought worker rights. In a country with an aging population and growing life expectancy where everyone receives a state pension, Macron’s government said, the reform is the only way to keep the system solvent.
Paris police said, 38 people were detained as a mass of people thronged the streets of the capital despite freezing rain. Retirees and college students were among the diverse crowd.
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