In the capital, they were 500,000 according to the CGT, 87,000 according to the police headquarters, 55,000 according to Occurrence.
Nationally, the state counted 1.272 million protesters, and the unions 2.8 million.
But how many were the demonstrators this Tuesday for the second day of interprofessional demonstration against the pension reform?
“The differences are becoming grotesque, points out Stéphane Sirot, specialist in trade unionism.
There is always a battle of numbers.
It all depends on the counting methods…” They vary between unions, the Ministry of the Interior and private practice.
The trade unions use a “very artisanal” technique, judge Stéphane Sirot.
They estimate, in particular, the number of people by the surface covered by the entire procession.
“It is not very elaborate and it is mainly based on the perception of those responsible for counting”, supports the expert.
For its part, the Ministry of the Interior determines a perimeter, before counting the number of demonstrators inside it.
"And the police duplicate it according to the length of the procession", specifies Stéphane Sirot.
The important thing is not so much the exact number as "the dynamics"
The independent firm Occurrence, meanwhile, uses technology “used in airports, shopping centers or museums” to arrive at a relevant figure.
“We are positioning ourselves about 8 m high to be able to cover the width of a boulevard, the two sidewalks included.
Two sensors, connected to a computer, draw a line.
Each time a person crosses it, it is counted”, explains Occurrence on its website.
Be that as it may, “no technique is infallible”, judge Stéphane Sirot.
The expert notes that the important thing is not so much the exact figure, as “the dynamics”.
“For this day, regardless of the figures presented, the Ministry of the Interior and the unions agree on one thing: there are more people in the streets, he supports.
The trend is upward, that's the major lesson.
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