Pension protests paralyze life across France

Protesters mobilized across France in a nationwide strike challenging President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform plans. The Interior Ministry said 806,000 people took part, while labor unions put the number at nearly 1.5 million. The strikes erupted in reaction to President Emmanuel Macron's plan to merge France’s current 42 different pension schemes into one state-managed system. The French government argues that merging the variety of profession dependent schemes is crucial to keep the system financially viable. Unions say introducing a single system will mean millions of workers will end up working beyond the legal retirement age of 62 or receiving a far lower pension. Strikes began on 5 December as more than 30 unions launched strike actions with the intention to shut down the country and force President Emmanuel Macron to reevaluate his plans for pension reform. Actions resulted in the Eiffel Tower being shut down along with most of the light rail lines in Paris. 6000 police were deployed in Paris alone in anticipation of the protests, particularly around the Élysée Palace which was barricaded. 

The protests became violent in the east of Paris where protesters were seen lighting fires and smashing windows. The police reported 65,000 people had demonstrated in Paris, while the CGT labor union suggested 250,000 people had turned out. While across the country the Interior Ministry said more than 800,000 people were protesting the CGT said the figure was 1.5 million. Strikes and protests continued on 6 December as unions said there would be no let-up. While some schools reopened, almost all high-speed train services cancelled, most of the Paris metro remained shut down and hundreds of flights were cancelled.