It is a symbolic place which was chosen in Normandy by the inter-union for the day of mobilization this Saturday against the pension reform. The commune of Vire, approximately 17,000 inhabitants, is at the heart of the 6th constituency of Calvados which allowed Elisabeth Borne to be elected as a deputy, before becoming Prime Minister.
The Norman city expects some 10,000 demonstrators this Saturday, from all over the region. The procession should start at 2:30 p.m. A real challenge for the community. “The biggest demonstration as part of the protest against the pension reform in Vire brought together around 1,200 people. You imagine that several thousand people who come to demonstrate in Vire, it’s something new, unheard of! reacted Marc Andreu Sabater, the mayor, at the microphone of France Bleu Normandie.
Preventive measures
The climate is already tense in the region. This Thursday, an effigy of Emmanuel Macron was burned in Caen in front of the Calvados prefecture.
Preventive measures have been taken for fear of overflows. The prefect of Orne has issued an order in the territory neighboring the city to prohibit the possession and transport of fireworks, pyrotechnic articles and incendiary substances or products.
The mayor also specifies that the city center will be inaccessible all afternoon and that many traders wish to close their businesses: “I have met many local traders in recent days and their testimonies suggest that those who are on the route of the demonstration will lower the curtain,” says Marc Andreu Sabater. There is concern and then customers will not be in the city center tomorrow if there is a large gathering, ”adds the mayor of Vire.