Paris
\nPolice in Paris have banned gatherings on the central Place de la Concorde as thousands of demonstrators continue to protest across France against Emmanuel Macron\u2019s decision to force through a change to the state pension age without a parliamentary vote.
\nProtests were under way or planned on Saturday in cities including Bordeaux, Nantes, Marseille, Brest and elsewhere in Paris after unions called for a determined show of resistance ahead of a ninth day of nationwide industrial action planned for Thursday.
\nMacron resorted to controversial executive powers to force through his bill on Thursday after concluding the government was not certain to win a national assembly vote on the changes, which include raising the eligible retirement age from 62 to 64.
\nWhile legal under France\u2019s constitution, the move has infuriated opposition parties and led to spontaneous street protests, presenting the greatest challenge to the president\u2019s authority since the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests of 2018.
\nRefinery strikes escalated on Saturday and rolling strikes continued on the railways as Philippe Martinez, the leader of the CGT union federation, said Macron had been \u201cwarned that the situation was explosive. No one can say we didn\u2019t say anything; we told him.\u201d
\nIn Paris, a 13-day bin strike is expected to continue until at least Tuesday, leaving more than 10,000 tonnes of rubbish piled high on the pavements in 10 of the capital\u2019s 20 arrondissements that rely on municipal, rather than private, rubbish collectors.
\nWhile the street protests have been largely peaceful, riot police fired teargas and clashed with demonstrators on Friday night in Paris, where 61 people were arrested after a fire was lit on the Place de la Concorde near the national assembly.
\nFearing more trouble, Paris police on Saturday banned further gatherings on and around the square and the nearby Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es opposite parliament, due to \u201cserious risks of disturbances to public order\u201d.
\nIn the south-eastern city of Lyon, 36 people were arrested on Friday night after trying to break into a town hall building and set fire to it, local authorities said.
\nOpinion polls have shown about two-thirds of French people oppose the pension changes, a central pledge of Macron\u2019s successful re-election campaign in 2022. He has said the changes are necessary to prevent the system from going bust in the future.
\nAlthough most European countries have already raised their retirement age to well past 64, critics in France say the changes are unfair on those who start working at a young age in physically hard jobs, and parents who interrupt their careers.
\nOpposition MPs have tabled two motions of no confidence in the government that are due to be debated in parliament on Monday afternoon, with the aim of garnering enough support to topple the cabinet and ensure the law is repealed.
\nThe prime minister, \u00c9lisabeth Borne, and her government are expected to survive the votes, which, to succeed, would need the support of at least half of the MPs from the main centre-right opposition party, Les R\u00e9publicans.
\nThe party\u2019s leader, \u00c9ric Ciotti, has said it will neither table its own no-confidence motion nor vote to bring down the government \u2013 which would probably force a snap election \u2013 and only a minority of LR MPs are thought likely to rebel.
\nBut even if Borne\u2019s government does survive, Macron has emerged from the episode politically damaged. With four years of his second and final mandate left to run, analysts have said it is difficult to see how he will continue with his reformist agenda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Paris Police in Paris have banned gatherings on the central Place de la Concorde as thousands of demonstrators continue to protest across France against Emmanuel Macron\u2019s decision to force through a change to the state pension age without a parliamentary vote. Protests were under way or planned on Saturday in cities including Bordeaux, Nantes, Marseille, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":320372,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-320363","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n