With a massive security squad France is preparing for a strike that could paralyze the entire country. In the capital alone, 6000 police officers will be deployed, announced the Paris police chief Didier Lallement.
The "general strike" against the pension scheme was called by numerous unions. Trains, metro, bus - everything should be largely stationary. But also in schools, in the civil service, in hospitals or the judiciary, the work should be discontinued. The authorities reckon with violent riots at demonstrations in Paris.
- Train traffic throughout France is severely disrupted, at least today. The French railway company SNCF has announced that only one in ten express trains will run on TGVs. For regional trains it looks similar. Rail traffic to Germany is also largely paralyzed. At least 20 percent of the aircraft remain on the ground. The situation will be particularly severe in Paris. Most of the metro lines are closed to traffic. Buses and trams are extremely limited.
- Employees of the energy company EDF, garbage disposal, lawyers, police officers , ground personnel at airports and students also want to take to the streets. Even though the strike is cross-industry, not all of the country's workforce will quit work.
- According to Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, 245 demonstrations have been filed throughout France.
There should be a big demonstration in Paris. For security reasons, the police have asked store owners on the demo route not to open their shops and restaurants. "We know that the radical black bloc and yellow vests have decided to take part in the demonstrations in Paris," Castaner said.
Authorities expect riots
But what is the reason for the huge strike? The planned pension reform drives people onto the streets. It is considered as the most important social reform of head of state Emmanuel Macron. The new system should end the fragmentation into individual systems for certain professional groups and thus be more solidary. Workers should also be made to work longer (read more here).
After the "Yellow West" protests, it is the next big challenge for President Macron and a very delicate project. In France, many now fear a strike, as was the case in 1995. At that time, protests were held for weeks against the pension and social security reform of then-Prime Minister Alain Juppé. Also, the current strike will probably not be over on Thursday evening, but should take off. For the weekend again massive "yellow vest" protests are expected in Paris.