The pension reform has not been approved from the outset by the public: in the short term, it reduced pensions and pushed back the day of retirement. Except in police and army cases, their pensions will not be altered.
So they called the general strike. Since then, it has been a month and a half, 44 days, and the situation has not changed much. According to the sources, the number of people who have participated in the mobilizations is dancing. According to data released by the Ministry of the Interior, for example, 615,000 people took to the streets at the great demonstration on 17 December. For its part, the Works Council has estimated the mobilisations that were carried out at 1.8 million people.
On Dec.17 they were around 1million 200 thousand people in the streets, to protest against the reform. It would seem the record from 1995 protests has been broken: AT that time,the gov had withdrawn its project two days after the protest. Now the government is simply ignoring it. pic.twitter.com/Ru1hSepVI7
— Ikiajmanch (@Ikiajmanch) January 16, 2020
The most significant impact is occurring in transport. The French railway company (SNCF) has estimated the loss of minimum services at around EUR 1 billion.
Workers in the transport sector are the most mobilised: it is not uncommon in Paris to have only 2 or 3 subway lines out of 16 in operation.And only 1 bus out of 5 (imagine that in London! ). On 10 January, this strike becomes the longest of history in the railway company-SNCF. pic.twitter.com/anZYNcHJvO
— Ikiajmanch (@Ikiajmanch) January 16, 2020
Spectacular initiatives and repression
Citizenship is being mobilized massively and informed through social networks. They have denounced that the police have acted in an abusive manner and some have published recordings in which they have been able to participate.
Beaucoup de monde à Bayonne! Pas de relâchement. On tient bon !#ReformeRetraites #greve9janvier #reformedesretraites #gouvernement #macron #pouvoir #france #politique #retraites #engreve #manifestation #bayonne #choixdevie #choixdesociété #tousdanslarue #paysbasque pic.twitter.com/xZMubBwh8W
— Christophe MORENAS (@chrismorenas) January 9, 2020
‘Aujourd’hui dans la rue, demain, à la rue!’
Veillée camping pour les chemises de nuit noires qui font une #NuitDesRetraites au tribunal de #Bobigny.
Le vent se lève, un vent de folie qui va balayer #Macron..#greve16janvier #GreveGenerale #GiletsJaunes pic.twitter.com/Dj0ZTBtPZU
— Marcel Aiphan (@AiphanMarcel) January 15, 2020
Lawyers from Lyon are mobilized at the correctional court of the city against pension reform. In recent weeks the law sector has massively joined the general strike in Francia.pic.twitter.com/B3TpKgYm7b
— Deciphering the War (@deciphererra) January 13, 2020
🚨 Charge d'une extrême violence. Beaucoup de blessés #greve9janvier pic.twitter.com/dWNhZyvXEg
— Taha 📷 (@MTGphotographe) January 9, 2020