Rubbish piles up on streets as France comes to a standstill against Macron pension reforms

Protests disrupt train, air and public transport across country as police brace for biggest day of strike

Heaps of uncollected garbage has piled up in France’s cities as thousands of people renewed mass protests due to Emmanuel Macron’s push for an unpopular pension reform that will raise the retirement age.

Streets in France have turned into a battleground with scores of protesters clashing with police in riot gear.

French cities have come to a standstill as well.

Garbage has piled up and filled the streets with stench, train services have been severely disrupted, operations at airports were affected and schools remained shut as pilots and teachers count among those staging walkouts on Thursday.

Rolling protests have continued among oil depot and sanitation workers as well, with around 13 per cent of petrol stations running short of fuel amid blockages at oil refineries while several have run dry in the Bouches-du-Rhône area.

The morning began with protesters coming out in numbers to block a highway near Toulouse in southwestern France as well as a bus depot in the west in Rennes, reported the Le Parisien newspaper.

A huge number of protesters gathered outside train stations, the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and refineries as well.

About 30 per cent of flights at Paris Orly Airport were cancelled and passengers faced long delays.

A homeless man, covered with plastic bags, walks past garbage bags that have been piling up on the pavement as waste collectors are on strike (AFP via Getty Images)

The protests have been emboldened by President Macron’s first public remarks on Wednesday, when he remained unfazed and said the contentious legislation would come into force by year end, despite escalating anger.

Thursday’s actions are the ninth round of strikes and national protests by unions over policy changes which will lift the retirement age by two years and thus increase the number of years one has to work to get a full pension.

Riot police fire rubber bullets and tear gas at education workers during a protest demanding a bigger budget for the sector and rejecting a new education plan from Bolivian President Luis Arce’s government on 22 March (AFP via Getty Images)

More than 12,000 police officers have taken positions in French streets with 5,000 in Paris, as authorities brace for the biggest strike action.

The protests that began in January have mostly been peaceful, but turned violent after the Macron government circumvented parliament to pass the pension bill.

Violence has intensified in protest rallies in recent days as agitated workers resorted to starting a huge fire in the middle of streets, blocking roads and clashing with police that baton charged at them to break the protest.

People wear costumes as they ride on a CGT union truck during a rally against the government’s pension reform (EPA)

A video on social media showed several trucks dumping tyres, rubbish and manure in front of council offices in several locations.

Highways were blocked with barriers of burning wood and tyres as protesters raised slogans.

Another video going viral on social media showed a fire raging outside a restaurant inside which diners continued to enjoy their dinner.

Labour unions said Thursday’s strike would draw huge crowds against what they described as Mr Macron’s “scorn” and “lies” and dubbed his governance as being “out of touch” and “offensive”.

Over 850 people were detained by French police as of Tuesday, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said.

Around 50 per cent of teachers of primary schools are expected to take part in the strike according to their union.

Protesters holds French labour union flags during a demonstration as part of the ninth day of nationwide strikes (REUTERS)

The 45-year-old centrist president, in his second and final term, narrowly survived two no-confidence votes in the lower chamber of parliament on Monday.

This was after the French government invoked a constitutional provision last week to get the pension bill adopted without the approval of lawmakers.

The bill must now pass a review by France‘s Constitutional Council before becoming law.