History of French Revolts & Revolutions

From the Fall Bastille to Retirement Reform

King Charles canceled his much-anticipated official visit to France that was scheduled for the end of March due to nationwide protests by the French.

France is now approaching three months of mass demonstrations against President Macron’s pension reform bill, which increased the retirement age from 62 to 64. Polls show that 65% of the French people oppose this increase in their retirement age.

And these protests are massive, similar to the Yellow Vests Protests that gripped France in violence back in 2019. Although last week’s protests were not as large as prior weeks’, still, some 13,000 police officers nationwide, including 5,000 in Paris, were deployed to face and control protestors

So, what’s the impact of these protests that are frequently volatile and at times violent?

Here are some examples from recent ⁠Wall Street Journal⁠ and ⁠New York Times⁠ reports:

• Schools were shut down
• Trains and other public transportation were limited
• Many domestic and international flights were canceled
• Some roads and university entrances were blocked
• Garbage went uncollected