Thousands of protesters flood streets in France before Friday's pension reform ruling
Apr 14, 2023
Paris [France], April 14 : Angry protesters took to the streets in France on Thursday before Friday's ruling about whether President Emmanuel Macron's measures to raise the retirement age meet constitutional standards or not, Al Jazeera reported.
The citizens of France have been a part of the months-long protest movement against the pension reform that has sent social tensions spiralling in France and Macron and his government refuse to give way.
Before a verdict on whether the proposal complies with constitutional requirements, protesters opposed to President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular plan to raise the retirement age to 64 marched in cities and villages throughout France.
While tens of thousands of people protested in Paris along the planned path on Thursday, some demonstrators carrying flares diverted to the Constitutional Council, which will decide on Friday whether to strike down all or part of the legislation, reported Al Jazeera.
The demonstrators clashed with a sizable police presence stationed outside the building, where other protestors had dumped bags of trash hours before the march started.
Cleanup of the trash mounds coincided with the nationwide protest marches, but it also marked the beginning of a new garbage collector strike. During a strike last month, the French capital's streets were clogged with piles of foul garbage for days.
Meanwhile, France's highest constitutional authority will rule on Macron's controversial pension reform on April 14.
The reforms were passed by parliament on March 16 after the government used a mechanism to bypass a vote by MPs, inflaming nationwide protests.
They were considered adopted by parliament when the government survived two no-confidence motions on March 20.
But the reforms can only come into law once they are validated by the Constitutional Council, which has the power to strike out some or even all of the legislation if deemed out of step with the constitution, reported France24.
