Eighth Rally Against Pension Reform Taking Place In Paris Ahead Of Key Vote In Parliament

Opponents of the French pension reform have staged the eighth demonstration in Paris since the beginning of the year in the run-up to the final vote in the lower chamber of the French parliament, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Wednesday

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th March, 2023) Opponents of the French pension reform have staged the eighth demonstration in Paris since the beginning of the year in the run-up to the final vote in the lower chamber of the French parliament, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Wednesday.

The rally, which gathered tens of thousands carrying the flags of the largest unions, started in the morning from the esplanade near Les Invalides and proceeded to the Place d'Italie. Participants included many young people and supporters of the anti-capitalist and the Yellow Vest movements.

Protesters chanted slogans and waved placards, demanding that public money be spent on salaries and pensions, rather than on "war and shareholders' pockets," the correspondent reported. Their main demand, however, is that the retirement age be lowered to 60.

The French are skeptical of the authorities' justification for the reform, attributing it to a lack of budgetary funds to pay pensions. They are convinced that France should distribute wealth more fairly and introduce a tax on corporations' super-profits, as well as stop increasing the military budget, they told the correspondent.

The peaceful demonstration turned into clashes between radicals and law enforcement later in the day.

After the Black Bloc radicals began wrecking bus stops, setting trash cans on fire and building barricades, police were forced to use tear gas, according to the correspondent.

In January, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne unveiled a draft of the controversial pension reform that the government plans to adopt in 2023. Under the reform project, the French authorities intend to gradually raise the retirement age in the country by three months per year starting from September 1, 2023. By 2030, the retirement age will reach 64.

The draft reform has caused a massive backlash in French society. There have already been seven general strikes and hundreds of demonstrations in France within the last two months, with over 1 million people taking part in most of them. During the protests, clashes often broke out between the police and protesters.

On March 11, the French upper house endorsed the draft pension reform by a vote of 195-112. A final vote on the reform will be held in the French parliament on Thursday. If the lower chamber supports the bill, the reform will become law and will come into effect in six months.