Pension reform: Marseille, soon running out of fuel?

Stéphane Burgatt (correspondent in Marseille) 10:27 am, March 22, 2023

Disrupted transport, garbage cans in the streets and fuel shortages... The threat is resurfacing. This Wednesday morning, 12% of gas stations in the country lack gasoline or diesel. In the Bouches-du-Rhône, half of the pumps are dry. The authorities ordered the first requisitions Tuesday morning at the oil depot of Fos-sur-Mer. Some clashes took place between demonstrators and CRS. Three police officers were injured and no improvement was seen this morning at the pump.

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It becomes gold

Smartphone on the dashboard to find pumps not yet dry, motorists have embarked on a real obstacle course. "We shot at least ten stations," explains a motorist at the microphone of Europe 1. "It becomes gold," adds another.

To prevent the situation from worsening, the authorities decided on a first requisition at the Fos-sur-Mer oil depot. In response, strikers have hindered the exit of tankers, like Lionel Arbiol, elected CGT at the Exxon refinery: "This depot, when it is fully working, can go beyond 1,200 trucks a day. There, in my opinion, if they have reached 100 trucks, it is already huge. If there are a few truck departures, we will limit this fuel shipment as much as possible."

>> READ ALSO - Strike against pension reform: the port of Marseille at a standstill, users exasperated

The protesters are determined to win the battle of gasoline. They warned that each requisition measure would give rise to blockages. The situation at the pumps in the department does not seem to be improving.