Paris Protesters Sing Outside Louvre as Anger at Pension Reform Continues

Hundreds of thousands of people were on strike across France on Thursday, March 23, after President Emmanuel Macron vowed to push on with deeply unpopular pension reform, local media reported.

Demonstrations ramped up nationwide since Macron used a constitutional provision to force through reforms without a parliamentary vote.

Thursday’s strike saw train traffic disrupted, airports affected, and teachers and students walking out, while rolling strikes continued at oil depots and garbage collection centers, France 24 reported.

French media reported several clashes broke out between protesters and police in Paris. According to the police, there were at least 21 arrests in Paris by 5:15 pm.

The CGT union said 800,000 people joined demonstrations in Paris, the highest figure put forward by the union since the start of the protests.

Footage by Marco Medaglia shows protesters waving placards and singing by the Louvre Museum in Paris, as a crowd of tourists waiting to enter the building looks on. Credit: Marco Medaglia via Storyful