Mobilization of June 6: 281,000 demonstrators in France according to the Interior, more than 900,000 according to the CGT

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credits: Quentin De Groeve / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 21:36 p.m., June 06, 2023

After five months of demonstrations against the pension reform, the unions see the end of the "match" with a participation at the lowest for their 14th day of mobilization, two days before the examination in the Assembly of a repeal law that is unlikely to succeed. The jolt did not take place for what could be the last day of action at the initiative of the inter-union. The Interior Ministry counted 281,000 demonstrators in France, and the CGT "more than 900,000", the lowest figures since the beginning of the movement on January 19.

>> READ ALSO – Pensions: "It is probably one of the last days of mobilization," says Laurent Berger

Figures at their lowest in several cities

In Paris, the prefecture announced 31,000 participants (less than the 37,000 of March 15 and February 16), and the CGT 300,000 participants, a low already reached twice during the winter. In the provinces, too, the figures have often fallen below the lowest levels previously recorded: 8,000 to 50,000 demonstrators in Toulouse, between 5,500 and 10,000 in Rennes, or 5,000 to 10,000 in Grenoble. "The match is ending, whether we like it or not, with this unknown of what will happen Thursday in the Assembly," Laurent Berger said Tuesday. The number one of the CFDT called on the unions to "weigh in the balance of power to come" on other subjects such as wages or working conditions.

"We want real negotiations," warned CGT leader Sophie Binet. Stressing that "pensions will always remain a struggle", she put forward the objective of "winning concrete progress". "The inter-union will remain united," she added, judging "likely that there will be other demonstrations in view of the anger in the country". An anger that "this movement has allowed to express," confirmed in Lille Michel Moulbach, a 60-year-old construction worker. But "we have to be realistic", added this activist cégetiste, as the holidays approach, "it will be difficult not to take a break".

Disruptions that remain very limited

Apart from a few punch actions - intrusion at the headquarters of the organizing committee of the 2024 Olympics, power cut in the Paris suburbs - disruptions have remained limited, especially in education with just over 5% of teachers on strike, according to the ministry. In transport, SNCF ran nine out of ten trains on average, while a third of flights were cancelled at Orly airport. Beauvau had deployed 11,000 police and gendarmes to supervise the crowds, including 4,000 in the capital.

The processions were punctuated by clashes between demonstrators and police, especially in Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes and Rennes, but rather less than during the last demonstrations. In Paris, a CRS was injured, and street furniture degraded, and the prefecture had made 28 arrests at 18:45 p.m. A man suspected of having set fire to a construction shed on the Parisian course was arrested, according to a police source.

The Parisian parade, however, passed without a clash in front of the National Assembly, the demonstrators doubling their boos and sticking on the ground, in capital letters: "Here lies democracy". Sign of their disillusionment after the "forced passages" of the executive in Parliament, despite the attempt to repeal the oppositions.

>> READ ALSO – Pension reform: how do the unions plan to retaliate?

For Bruno Retailleau, "the match is played"

The presidential camp intends to continue to move forward, as evidenced by the publication Sunday in the Official Journal of the first two implementing decrees, including the one gradually raising the legal retirement age to 64 years. On Thursday, the President of the Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, is expected to draw Article 40 of the Constitution - which prohibits parliamentarians from tabling amendments with a financial impact - to block the text tabled by the Liot group.

In unison with the left and Liot MPs, Sophie Binet pleaded that it is "essential to let Parliament vote" at the risk of a "huge democratic anomaly". But for Laurent Berger, "it's not off to a good start". "The match is played," said the leader of the senators LR Bruno Retailleau on Sud Radio. Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) promised on Tuesday that "the fight will continue" against the reform even if he admitted that he did not know "in what form".

The debate must be held "in the democratic framework and respect for the Constitution," said Monday the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron. "The announcements will come in due course," he said Tuesday on the sidelines of the D-Day commemorations. The government plans to hold a multilateral meeting in mid-June, either at Matignon or at the Elysée, with unions and employers.

A prospect that does not enchant the union leaders, who should meet by video next Tuesday. Frédéric Souillot (FO) has already made it known that he "would not go", while François Hommeril (CFE-CGC) does not "want to go to a communication operation".