China News Agency, Paris, January 31 (Reporter Li Yang) On January 31 local time, more than one million people in France demonstrated again against the reform of the retirement system.
While organizing demonstrations, major trade unions in France also organized large-scale cross-industry strikes again.
Both the French trade unions and the police stated that the scale of the demonstration that day exceeded the 19th.
The French Ministry of the Interior said that night, 1.27 million people participated in demonstrations across France, including 87,000 people in Paris.
The French Federation of Trade Unions stated that more than 2.8 million people participated in demonstrations across France, including 500,000 people in Paris.
According to data from the French Ministry of the Interior, the number of demonstrations across France on January 19 was 1.12 million, including 80,000 participants in Paris.
Place d'Italie in Paris was the starting point of the demonstration on the 31st. The reporter saw at the scene that tens of thousands of people crowded around the square.
The main French opposition party leading the demonstrations, the far-left party "France Unyielding", hung banners and posted posters on both sides of the road where the demonstrations passed. 60 years old.
The demonstration in Paris started from Place d'Italie at 2 pm and covered nearly 5 kilometers.
When the people walking in the forefront of the parade arrived at the final destination, Place Vauban, some people were still waiting to start at the Place d'Italia.
The demonstration process was generally peaceful, but the procession was very slow.
At Place Vauban that night, there was a skirmish between the police and the demonstrators. The police once used tear gas and quickly brought the situation under control.
In addition to the demonstrations, there were strikes across France on the same day, and the scale was basically the same as on the 19th.
Most rail passenger services in France were canceled for the day; most metro lines in Paris provided limited service only during peak hours.
It is worth mentioning that Paris Mayor Hidalgo from the left-wing Socialist Party decided to support the marches and strikes, suspended the city government’s external services that day, and hung banners of solidarity outside the city hall.
According to the official schedule, French President Macron presided over a meeting and met with officials at the Presidential Palace that day.
As of press time, Macron has not made any statement on the demonstrations and strikes that day.
French officials announced on the 10th the retirement system reform plan, plans to delay the statutory retirement age from the current 62 years old to 64 years old.
A number of recent polls still show that the majority of French people oppose delaying the retirement age.
French Prime Minister Borne last week showed the government's intransigent attitude on the issue of retirement system reform, saying that delaying the retirement age to 64 was "non-negotiable".
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