The headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was stormed by French anti-pension reform protesters on Tuesday in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron‘s decision to raise the retirement age.
An estimated 281,000 took to the streets in a last-minute attempt to pressure lawmakers into reversing the decision, which led to the HQ building located in Aubervilliers in northern Paris briefly being occupied.
French protesters stormed the headquarters of the 2024 Olympics in Paris earlier today to protest against Macron’s pension reform. pic.twitter.com/dqvi4CoVZY
— MintPress News (@MintPressNews) June 6, 2023
“There was no violence and no damage,” a Games spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
There were far fewer protesters on Tuesday compared to the previous demonstration on May 1, which attracted an estimated 782,000.
Trade unions have been fighting Macron’s move to make French citizens work longer to reach retirement age dating back to January, with numerous strikes and protests having taken place over the last six months.
Macron has said it was a necessary move to lift the legal retirement age by two years to 64 to fill in a widening pension deficit, though trade unions have suggested the money could be plugged in other ways, such as raising taxes for the wealthy.
Some protesters have threatened to disrupt next summer’s Paris Olympics if there isn’t change, with some of the banners seen during the protests reading: “No retirement, No Olympics.”
French parliament is set to review an opposition-sponsored motion aimed at canceling the minimum pension age increase on Thursday. It’s expected to be rejected (under the constitution, lawmakers cannot pass legislation that impacts public finances without measures to offset those costs, as reported by Reuters), though unions hope a big protest turnout could pressure lawmakers into holding a vote.
“We need to prepare for what’s to come (after the summer),” said Jean-Luc Carbonari, a 60-year-old sewer works engineer, according to Reuters. “We need to reverse the political balance of power.”
I don’t know what my opinion is worth, but I hope the Olympics aren’t disrupted.
I’m not saying the pension retirement issue isn’t important, I’m hoping this conflict is resolved in order to have the Olympics go on normally.
I don’t know why both have to conflict.
They need the sexy human Greek god himself Florent Manaudou to provide a human shield against said protestors
I’d happily volunteer as a tribute to try out the Flo-Shield
The retirement age needs to be raised in the US as well. People are living longer and longer and there’s not enough money to support people who retire in their early 60s and live until their late 90s. It should be raised to the late 60s.
Actually…people in the US are not living longer and longer. Life expectancy in America is falling, after 9 years of plateau.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-life-expectancy-in-the-us-is-falling-202210202835
It’s pretty much empty article.
I’m surprised it says nothing about the correlation with climate change. It is so popular thing to do nowadays. It would made the reading of it more entertaining.
It says nothing about serious changes in demographics because of uncontrolled immigration policies.
It also says nothing about the decline in quality of services to the elderly people. Because of insufficient funding the nursing homes in US with very few exceptions are terrible places to be. At the beginning of pandemic it looked like “cleaning” of nursing homes was acceptable by government officials. Nothing really serious was done to protect these defenseless people. On the other hand taking care of old family members is… Read more »
Seeing someone Go on a swimming magazine to show unwavering support for Logan’s Run is not something I had on my 2023 bingo card.
I’m British and have to wait until I’m 67, in 2028.
Ah, it is 67 in the US too.
Ok then we should wait until we are in our early 70s to retire.
Or maybe just maybe we could reform these pension systems so they aren’t ponzi schemes which are going to collapse for those having to pay for them?
We should also maybe not gaslight the average citizen about how they just need to accept the good times are over and they’re just going to have to work harder for less while meanwhile we all know where the fruits of that labor are going and who’s not paying their fair share back.
Don’t shill for this broken system and our corrupt leaders. Mr. Hedge Fund manager president of France isn’t your friend and he’s not trying to help you.
In related news, protestors have spilled 10,000 cases of claret into the River Seine where the Olympic open-water competitions are scheduled to be held. (No doubt inspired by the Boston Tea Party, the 250th anniversary of which will be celebrated across the Pond later this year.) Coincidentally, a record number of entrants have registered for tomorrow’s just-announced trial marathon swim in the same river. Viva le France (hic)!