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Hundreds of thousands of strikers were expected to march in street demonstrations across France on Thursday as transport, schools and refineries were hit by major industrial action against Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.
Marches began early in regional cities including Nantes and Nice, as riot police took position in central Paris in advance of a demonstration scheduled for the afternoon. Shopkeepers around the Place de la République boarded up windows and shopfronts after the authorities warned of a possibility of vandalism on the edge of the marches or black bloc-style tactics.
Local and regional train services across France ground to almost a standstill, public transport in cities such as Paris was “very disrupted” according to transport operators, and a large proportion of high-speed train lines across the country were not running.
The main teachers’ union said 70% of primary school teachers were on strike, with many schools closing for the day. Public service radio and television were also disrupted, playing music or showing reruns; many theatres were closed. Some refinery shipments were blocked and energy output lowered.
The 24-hour strike and protests in 200 towns and cities are the first big test for Macron since his re-election against his far-right rival Marine Le Pen last spring.
Macron has made the pensions issue a marker of his aim to transform France and overhaul its social model and welfare system.
