On Thursday, more than 1 million people took to the streets of France to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
In Paris, at least 80,000 people marched, according to the police, while labor organizers claimed the number to be in the hundreds of thousands.
The police arrested around 30 members of the far-left group “Black Bloc” in Paris, with no reports of violence from other demonstrations across France.
The state claims the reforms are necessary to keep the system solvent. France’s retirement age structure is one the most generous in the EU.
Unions argue it would threaten worker’s rights and propose to instead introduce a tax on the wealthy or higher payroll contributions from employers.
On Monday, Macron will formally pesent the bill which is expected to proceed to the Parliament next month.
