Pension reform: in Vire, shopkeepers barricade themselves before a mobilization

Lucie de Perthuis, edited by Gauthier Delomez with AFP 18:37 pm, April 01, 2023

The pension reform continues to mobilize in the streets. Particularity this Saturday, between 3,100 demonstrators according to the prefecture of Calvados and 6,000 according to the unions gathered in Vire, where Elisabeth Borne had been elected deputy, to protest against the bill adopted in Parliament. "We can not pause the text," had previously indicated the Prime Minister, a few days to receive the inter-union on Wednesday, April 5, the eve of the 11th day of mobilization. Words that convinced hundreds of people to express their opposition to the reform, calmly.

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A calm to the delight of the traders of the town of 10,500 inhabitants, like Alexandre, behind the window of his game store. "For now, everything is going well, everything is in the right atmosphere. There have been no spillovers so far. Everything seems to be going well for the moment," he told Europe 1, stressing that the mobilization has gathered fewer people than expected.

Barricaded businesses

Alexandre is one of the few to have kept his store open in the city center this Saturday. Many are closed or even barricaded. "There was a bit of a politics of fear, many barricaded themselves, they were really afraid for their business," he said, returning to the dreaded forecasts: "We announced 40,000 people, thugs who came from everywhere, and finally, it's rather the good atmosphere."

"Express our anger": between 3,100 and 6,000 demonstrators in Vire

"No retirement at 64, neither for us nor for our children": behind the banner of head, at least 6,000 people, according to the unions, and 3,100 according to the prefecture, marched in the calm Saturday in Vire, in the rain and the wind, to denounce the pension reform. "We want to come and express our anger (...) It is more possible the 49.3 repeatedly. We are no longer in a democracy," said Anthony Mosconi, 34. Non-unionized, this supermarket employee came from Flers in the Orne, about thirty kilometers away, with his partner and his two children aged 3 and 4.

The mobilizations still have, despite everything, an impact on the activity of the shops. This is the case for Michel, who had to lower the curtain of his shoe store this Saturday afternoon. "This (Saturday) morning, I stayed open but no one came in. Throughout the month of March, because of the demonstrations, we regularly made -27% of turnover, "says this trader. In terms of attendance, this Saturday's mobilization is a record for this small town.