France pension protests: Thousands hit roads, barge into Louis Vuitton stores, verdict on bill today

Having entered its 12th day, protests in France did not simmer down on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of protestors carried out nationwide demonstrations.

Trade unions and activists, in a fresh round of protests against French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the minimum pension age from 62 to 64, barged into luxury brand stores, including Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.

Visuals showed protestors setting a luxury car on the road on fire too. The frustration has grown, the number of protestors decreased but, most importantly, Macron’s image has been shaken, as per experts.

As the stores filled with red smoke from flares, the demonstrators demanded, “Take money from the pockets of the rich if you’re looking for money to finance pensions!”

A flashpoint of tension in recent weeks has also been sporadic scuffles between French police and protestors, who clashed in Nantes. The security forces resorted to teargas to disperse a thick crowd but French protestors and the police issued a statement over nearly ten members of the force who were injured on Thursday.

Their voice against a possible regulation did not die out. Moreover, the demand to tax the wealthy has only grown louder. On the ninth day of the protests, an angry crowd blamed Macron for “lies” and deemed the pension agenda as his “scorn”.

It may be noted that pan-France protests have continued and thickened but Macron’s stance remained unchanged. In a televised interview recently, the French president said, “Do you think I enjoy doing this reform? No,” Macron said in a TV interview. “But there are not a hundred ways to balance the accounts … this reform is necessary.”

Here are the top developments in protests in France since they began in January 2023:

The protestors seek the withdrawal of the bill or put a referendum on the possible legislation. The bill intends to raise the age for pension schemes. At present, a person aged 62 can avail of the benefit, however, Macron’s administration proposes to increase it to 64. His government has argued that a new law was required to ensure that France’s generous pension system did not go bust.