Paris, Oct 16 (AFP\/APP): Three weeks into a refinery strike that has caused fuel shortages across the country, thousands of protesters marched in Paris on Sunday, adding to a growing picture of defiance and anger about inflation.<\/p>\n
The demonstration against the rising cost of living on Sunday was called by left-wing political parties and was led by the head of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, Jean-Luc Melenchon.<\/p>\n
Some protesters wore yellow florescent vests, the symbol of often violent anti-government protests in 2018 which shook the pro-business centrist government of President Emmanuel Macron.<\/p>\n
“Our lives are more valuable that your profits,” read one banner in the procession, which police predicted would reach around 30,000 people — relatively small by French standards.<\/p>\n
Opponents of Macron are hoping to build on the momentum created by the refinery standoff which began at the end of September.<\/p>\n
“You can see that this movement (at the refineries) is starting to spread,” senior LFI lawmaker Mathilde Panot told franceinfo radio.<\/p>\n
Several French unions, but not all, have announced a national day of strikes on Tuesday that is expected to affect road transport, trains and the public sector.<\/p>\n
The scale of the strikes and protests in the coming months is expected to have an impact on the government’s ability to push through a highly controversial change to the pensions system.<\/p>\n
Macron, who won re-election in April, has pledged to push back the retirement age from 62, with the reform scheduled before the end of the winter.<\/p>\n
“I’m really worried,” one ruling party MP told AFP last week on the condition of anonymity. “We need to find a route between the need for reforms and that fact that people are riled up and tired.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Paris, Oct 16 (AFP\/APP): Three weeks into a refinery strike that has caused fuel shortages across the country, thousands of protesters marched in Paris on Sunday, adding to a growing picture of defiance and anger about inflation. The demonstration against the rising cost of living […]<\/p>\n
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