Protesters in Paris briefly occupied the headquarters of the Paris Summer 2024 Olympics on the 14th day of protests against government plans to raise the retirement age to 64.
Several dozen protesters got into the building for a few minutes to deploy banners against pension reform. There was no violence and no damage, a Games spokesperson told Reuters.
Protestors’ leaders gathered in front of the National Assembly in Paris ahead of the nationwide protest marches in a last-ditch attempt to pressure lawmakers into scrapping a law that is already on the statute books.
Authorities anticipate between 400,000 to 600,000 protesters across 250 sites nationwide, with 40,000 to 70,000 expected in Paris.
Around 11,000 security officials, including 4,000 in the capital, are deployed to handle the demonstrations. Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez warned of potential riots.
Over the past months, massive protests and strikes have been staged in opposition to the government's pension system changes, particularly the increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64.
The Constitutional Council partially approved the key aspects of the pension reform plan on April 14, leading to its signing into law by President Emmanuel Macron.
Labor unions and opposition parties have organized numerous nationwide general strikes since January.
AMK/PR
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