mobilization on the rise with 963,000 demonstrators in France

by time news

Mobilization against the pension reform, this Saturday, February 11, in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne). AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU

CARTE – According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, nearly 963,000 demonstrators took to the streets today compared to 757,000 on February 7.

Almost successful bet for the unions. According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, it’s nearly 963,000 demonstrators who pounded the pavement today against 757,000 on February 7. But the million mark which had been reached twice on Tuesdays 19 (1.12 million) and 31 January (1.27 million) was not crossed as hoped by the trade unions, the CFDT in the lead via its leader Laurent Berger. “To exceed the million demonstrators, it would be a great success“, he had estimated a little earlier in the day. The figure put forward by the CGT is much higher with “more than 2.5 million” people in the streets. But it is below that of January 31 (2.8 million) and higher than those of January 19 and February 7 (around 2 million).

If the unions have already announced two new dates – Thursday February 16 and Tuesday March 7 – all eyes were focused on the figures of the day. The trade unions hoped that the 4th day of demonstrations in the country, to denounce the government’s pension reform project, which wants to raise the legal retirement age from 62 to 64, would be an opportunity to make it a successful show of force. It is indeed the first time since the beginning of the movement on January 19 that the unions organize a demonstration on the weekend, anxious to allow everyone to march in the street. “Saturday I hope it will be very popular, very family, people from all walks of life“, had indicated since last Tuesday the secretary general of the CFDT, Laurent Berger.

Follow the mobilization throughout the territory

The map is updated throughout the day. Last update at 6 p.m.

TO HAVE ALSO – Strike against pension reform: what to expect this Saturday, February 11?

From a police source on Friday, territorial intelligence forecast a participation of 600,000 to 800,000 in around 240 demonstrations, including between 90 and 120,000 in Paris. The third day of action, Tuesday February 7, mobilized less than the previous ones: 757,000 people according to the Ministry of the Interior, “nearly two million” according to the organizers (compared to 1.27 million at “more than 2.5 millionon 31). A decline that the unions put on the account of the holidays which started in zone A (Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon and Poitiers).

Small towns also mobilized

The first parades started at 10 a.m. in the Province. Some cities that had not demonstrated until now responded to the meeting of the trade union organizations. This is the case of Brioude (6600 inhabitants) in Haute-Loire, which brought together 850 people, according to the local gendarmerie. Never seen ! AT Nancy, the prefecture announced 6,000 people (against 6,500 last Tuesday). AT Also, there are 3,500 demonstrators (against 2,400). AT Strasbourgthe CGT claimed a record number of “more than 10,000 demonstratorsagainst 5900 for the police. Lyon (15,800 against 10,700), Toulouse (30,000 against 24,000), Montpellier (20,000 versus 11,000) and Toulon (10,000 versus 5,000) fill up. Conversely, Nice which had almost maintained its number of demonstrators on February 7, recorded a decline (5,600 against 6,800) as the Carnival festivities begin.

Unions want to shut down France on March 7

«We are in a day of demonstration which will be very strong, very diverse and very citizen. The first returns already tell us“, had announced Laurent Berger.

The eight main French unions said they were ready on Saturday to “put France on hold in all sectors on March 7“if the government and the Parliament”remain deafto the mobilization against the pension reform. The date of March 8, International Women’s Rights Day, is also being considered.to highlight the major social injustice of this reform towards women».

For the leader of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, “the ball is in the court of the President of the Republic and the government to know if the movement needs to grow, harden or if they take into account the current mobilizations“. The number one of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, estimated that this announcement “of a hardening on March 7, that leaves a little time if they want to react». «We are not in the logic of the renewable strike» et «this is not a call for a general strikeNeither, he clarified, however, explaining that March 7 will be the subject of a “call for a 24-hour strike but not necessarily longer».

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