France saw its seventh day of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular pension reform proposal on Saturday, amid ongoing strikes that have hit refineries, public transport and waste collection.
A coalition of French unions hopes to keep pressure on the government to abandon the proposed reform, the main measure of which is a two-year extension of the retirement age to 64.
According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, the expectation is that up to 1 million people will participate in more than 200 acts across the country, while the Senate continues to analyze the reform. A potential vote on the text is expected on Sunday evening.
The demonstrations began at 10:00 (local time) in the streets of major cities, including Toulouse and Nice. A march into Paris was to start at 2pm.
1.28 million people took to the streets in demonstrations on Tuesday, the largest turnout since the protests began, according to government figures. Unions have estimated a total of 3.5 million people.
Opinion polls show that a majority of voters oppose Macron’s plan, while a narrow majority support strikes.
A spokesman for oil company TotalEnergies told Reuters that strikes continued at the company’s refineries and depots across the country, while public rail operator SNCF said national and regional services would remain mostly disrupted over the weekend.
In Paris, trash continues to pile up on the streets, with residents citing a growing presence of rats, according to local media.
Another day of nationwide strikes and protests is scheduled for March 15th.
Source: Terra

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