The image may be surprising: a protester talking to a policeman, smiling. The exchange is courteous. He performed in Montargis, sub-prefecture of Loiret located 120 km south of Paris, Tuesday, March 28, during the demonstration against the pension reform. The tumult and scenes of chaos of the Parisian parades seem at this moment far away. Here, no over-armed forces or hooded opponents ready to fight. About fifteen police officers accompany the procession. Montargis demonstrates in peace.

A little too much for the taste of some. "Look, we're walking down a pedestrian street! What's the point, really? We should change our method and occupy public places," said Nathalie, 48, who works in a clinic.

The demonstration is progressing peacefully in Montargis pic.twitter.com/Oe7ziEl7lA

— Romain Brunet (@romain2dc) March 28, 2023

"That's not the way to make the government back down," she continues. The last ones who got something were the Yellow Vests. I'm not for violence, but like others, I'm starting to think that maybe it's the only way to be heard."

A little further, another demonstrator, exasperated, says to the cantonade, in an ironic tone: "Bravo! We went around the square. What is it blocking..."

>> Read: On pensions, the strategy of the double game of the National Rally

However, they are still 2,500, according to the organizers, to demonstrate for this 10th day of mobilization – 1,300, according to the police. A figure slightly below the mobilization of last Thursday, but which remains significant for a small town like Montargis, a little less than 15,000 inhabitants, which is experiencing great social difficulties.

The poorest city in Loiret with a poverty rate of 33% and an unemployment rate of 10%, Montargis is a city that suffers. Before the Covid-19 health crisis, it even held a sad record: it was the city in France with the highest rate of poverty among young children – 61% of children aged 0 to 3 lived in a poor family.

The "general fed up" of small and medium-sized cities

Under these conditions, it is difficult to mobilize residents who have their daily concerns more in mind than pension reform.

"It's complicated here," admits Bruno, a 51-year-old professional firefighter. With inflation, everything increases: fuel, food, gas, electricity. So we think twice before going on strike. In my barracks, there were about ten of us demonstrating in January. There are only two of us today."

>> Read: Pension reform: the untruths of Emmanuel Macron

He resents Emmanuel Macron for having removed four criteria of arduousness at the beginning of his first five-year term, in 2017. And even if firefighters, as active class officers, will still be able to retire earlier than the legal age, they too will have to work two more years – the starting age for firefighters will increase from 57 to 59.

"Efforts, it's always the same people who make them all the time. There is a general frustration among people. That's why we're still on the street. We stay motivated. Something is going to happen eventually," he said.

"We don't stop making efforts. We need a fair reform," says Bruno (center), a firefighter, who fights "for a better world". pic.twitter.com/20AV19elk1

— Romain Brunet (@romain2dc) March 28, 2023

The anger of Bruno and many demonstrators, as in many small and medium-sized cities of France particularly mobilized against the increase of the retirement age from 62 to 64 years, has its roots beyond the simple reform. The inhabitants of these forgotten territories also blame the government for the disappearance of public services. They have the feeling of being neglected and it is not surprising to find former Yellow Vests alongside the usual union leaders.

This is the case of "Dédé", 73 years old, a history of the roundabout of Châlette-sur-Loing. He is one of the few to always wear his yellow vest at demonstrations and firmly believes in the withdrawal of the reform.

"Not seen such a mobilization in Montargis since the CPE"

"There are more and more people mobilized. Especially since Elisabeth Borne used 49.3, it really lit the fire. Emmanuel Macron thinks that we will eventually get tired, but he does not know the French. As long as the government doesn't give up, people will stay on the streets."

"I had never seen such a mobilization in Montargis since the movement against the CPE [the first job contract launched in 2006 by Dominique de Villepin]," said Annaby Diaw, secretary of the local Union of Force Ouvrière. "And it's not going to stop anytime soon. The use of 49.3 has brought young people out onto the streets," he adds.

Far from the tumult of the Parisian demonstrations, Montargis demonstrates a little too calmly for the taste of some. "We walk in a pedestrian street, what's the point?" asks Nathalie, who would like to occupy public buildings#greve28mars#Retraites #Montargis pic.twitter.com/TvxoezlorF

— Romain Brunet (@romain2dc) March 28, 2023

If they were numerous during the previous demonstration, according to the Montargois interviewed, the young people this time stayed at home or at school. On Tuesday, March 28, the demonstrators are composed at least half of retirees.

Some young people are there anyway. Elsa and Charlotte, both 21, are childcare assistants in a nursery. "You don't see yourself doing this job until you're 64," they explain. The arduousness of our job is not taken into account and yet, we spend a lot of time on the ground or carrying children who sometimes weigh up to 20 kg."

They work in nurseries, are childcare assistants and are not carried children "who sometimes weigh 20 kg" until 64 years#Pensions#greve28mars #Montargis pic.twitter.com/REy8Z8DPwM

— Romain Brunet (@romain2dc) March 28, 2023

They had already demonstrated in 2018 against Parcoursup, when they were high school students. But this time, only high school students in big cities seem to have continued the action to enter the movement. The Ministry of Education reported 53 incidents in France in front of schools, including 14 blockades, 27 filtering blocks, seven blocking attempts and five other forms of disruption (out of a total of 6,960 middle schools and 3,720 high schools).

Nothing like this in Montargis, where no disturbance was reported. The demonstration, which lasted 1 hour 30 minutes without incident, ended by returning to the Place du Patis, its starting point. The demonstrators then kindly returned to go about their business. Then after just 15 minutes, the police were quietly able to leave the scene.

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