This Thursday at 10 a.m. in Albert 1er Garden, all the unions and many professional groups gathered. It was the tenth demonstration against the pension reform, a struggle that has been ongoing since December 5th. Report.
At 10 a.m., already a few hundred demonstrators are present at Jardin Albert 1er in Nice, the starting point for the day’s demonstration. The different unions are playing their music, and people are talking and getting ready to set off. The procession will eventually reach about 2,000 people. Today, many professions were present, such as firefighters and lawyers. “We are protesting against the pension reform and the disappearance of local lawyers. Fighting against the reform is fighting for justice for the most disadvantaged,” clarified Thierry Troin, a lawyer at the Nice bar. The recent head of the bar (elected by his peers, he is the leader and representative of the Order) explains “that the increase in contributions, from 14 to 28%, is not acceptable. Our pension fund is in surplus; we already contribute 100 million euros per year to deficit pension funds to bail them out. We cannot accept this like any worker.”
“This is the 10th day of mobilization; the government must move”
From the promenade to Place Garibaldi, the demonstrators chanted their slogans. “To be honest, today there are fewer demonstrators. It’s normal in our department; it’s vacation time, and some have gone on trips. They will return for the next demonstrations; in 15 days, it will pick up again. Especially with the national funding conference, we’re heading straight for a wall,” asserted Frank Hausner, general secretary of Force Ouvrière. A reform that is still highly unpopular in the country. “Today, all liberal professions, whether lawyers, firefighters, are joining the union alliances. This clearly shows that the entire country is against this reform,” emphasized the general secretary.
A demonstration during the carnival
When the king of fashion, the flagship of the Nice carnival, was expected to be in the spotlight this week, it was indeed the demonstrators who drew the attention instead. “The only one responsible is the government. Despite the population’s rejection of this reform, they continue to insist,” defended Gérard Ré, general secretary of CGT Nice 06. Under the sometimes bewildered eyes of foreign tourists, the procession kept moving at a steady pace. “We came across tourists at Place Massena, and, believe it or not, they were applauding us. It seems we are indeed well-regarded. Moreover, we are outside the carnival festivities, so we are disturbing no one. We are just continuing to put pressure,” explained Frank Hausner. Still being debated in the assembly, there too, the discussion is stalling. Many movements and signs of protest are expected in the weeks to come.
