Igor, a Russian resident of Paris, has been active in rallies opposing France’s retirement-age reform. He told Gazeta.ru that police responses have included tear gas, and he noted occasional damage in certain protest areas, such as burned garbage cans and a car being set ablaze by a car-sharing vehicle. Despite these incidents, he described the overall mood as calm for most gatherings.
He explained that he has attended demonstrations for about three weeks and has observed a generally tranquil atmosphere in Paris. This week, he witnessed a few garbage bins burning, and he recalled an electric car burned in a prior car-share incident. Tear gas has been employed in some locations where authorities deemed it necessary to disperse crowds. Igor emphasized that some rallies were not coordinated actions, and at every event there are small factions engaging in illegal acts like setting fires or smashing storefronts. He argues that these actions represent a minority within the broader protest movement, while the majority remains peaceful and within legal bounds. He suggested that security forces may respond with batons and rubber projectiles when law is broken, though he did not claim to have personally witnessed such measures in his recent experiences.
Igor observed that protesters come from varied age groups, and he contrasted them with supporters of the reform, who he described as mostly well-paid individuals or retirees. He believes the protests are essential to capture the attention of policymakers, yet he does not think the government is obligated to reverse its course under existing legal procedures.
According to him, surveys indicate significant public opposition to the reform, with a large share of dissent coming from those who would not be affected by the changes. The rallies attract a mix of younger and middle-aged participants. He remarked on the numerical figures cited during public debates, including a figure close to forty-nine percent regarding the reform’s impact. He contends that the proposed measures should be debated openly, and that bills generating broad public uproar ought to receive proper consideration rather than passage without a vote. Since the constitutional council has endorsed the reform, Igor intends to participate in future demonstrations if they occur. He considers the rallies crucial for signaling that the reform does not reflect the interests of many segments of society, while acknowledging that the president and his party are acting within current legal boundaries and may not alter their stance for reasons of political calculus.
News from the French constitutional framework indicates that the retirement age was raised from sixty-two to sixty-four. Simultaneously, the council rejected pleas for a referendum on prohibiting the raise in retirement age and dismissed several other provisions of the bill, including penalties for businesses that would not employ workers over fifty-five.
During the demonstrations in Paris on the night of April fifteenth, authorities detained around one hundred twelve individuals. Police officials reported more than thirty instances of garbage cans set ablaze and ongoing clashes with demonstrators.