Over half a million people took to the streets of France on Thursday to protest Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Well over 500,000 took place on the eleventh day of protest against the Macron government on Thursday, police officials have confirmed.
The demonstrations are mostly concerned with unpopular pension reforms pushed through by the government, which utilised a loophole within the French constitution to implement an increase to the pension age without the approval of parliament.
This has prompted a huge degree of anger in the country, with political opposition on both the left and right up in arms about the current ordeal.
PARIS, FRANCE – APRIL06: French riot police arresting a protester during a demonstration after the French government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris, France on April 6, 2023. (Photo by Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – APRIL06: Protesters burn materials during a demonstration after the French government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris, France on April 6, 2023. (Photo by Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – APRIL 6: Clashes between riot police and demonstrators take place during a protest against the government after pushing the pensions reform without a vote using article 49.3 of the constitution, and surviving a no-confidence motion at the parliament, in Lyon, Paris, France on April 6, 2023. (Photo by Firas Abdullah/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
An employee of the La Rotonde brewery extinguishes with a fire extinguisher the start of a fire caused by a smoke bomb during clashes with police during the 11th day of strike action and demonstrations after the government pushed a pension reform through parliament without a vote, using Article 49.3 of the Constitution, in Paris April 6, 2023. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
According to a report by Le Figaro, police estimate that a total of 570,000 people took part in Thursday’s protests, though organisations involved in the protest put the figure at a much larger 2 million.
As has been routine for these demonstrations at this stage, a number of the marches devolved into violence, with individuals setting fire to various objects and edifices while others clashed with police.
The most notable casualty of yesterday’s clashes was La Rotonde — a famous Paris restaurant known for being a haunt of President Macron — which had part of its awning briefly set on fire, prompting waiters to douse the flames with buckets of water to prevent it from spreading.
Another target for protesters was the Paris headquarters of various major financial institutions, including the infamous BlackRock investment firm, all the while chanting Antifa slogans.
Nevertheless, despite the day’s theatrics, the Macron administration may actually be able to breathe a sigh of relief after the demonstrations, which were actually down in numbers compared to those held last week.
Although half a million protesters is a significant figure, it is only two-thirds of that which are believed to have turned up during the final day of marches last week, prompting some to think the anti-government movement may be starting to lose steam.
Meanwhile, problems the country is having with fuel shortages at gas stations appear to be slowly resolving themselves, though supply will remain scarce at many stations over the Easter weekend.
That is not to say that Macron has escaped the crisis scot-free.
Although the country’s left has been the most active in terms of on-the-ground marches in France, it is perhaps the country’s right-wing that is benefiting from the crisis, and doing so in a big way if polling is to be believed.
Of the many statistics released over the last number of weeks, by far the most striking is that marking the ascendency of veteran populist Marine Le Pen.
Having lost the country’s presidential election last year by 17 points, data now suggests that should a similar election be held today, Le Pen would soundly beat Macron in a race to the Élysée, with one study putting her 10 points ahead of the embattled incumbent.
To make matters worse for the French establishment, Macron will be unable to run in the next election in 2027, and at present, the globalist leader is lacking a clear successor likely to win a one-on-one race against the country’s right wing.