New Protesters in Paris.

 

 

New day of French protests - signs of slowdown 

 

On Thursday, the eleventh mass demonstration begins in France since January, AFP reports.  

 

There are signs that the protests have begun to die down and the unions are now hoping for a large turnout. Some protesters state that they are beginning to tire and falter in their resistance, reports BFM TV.  

 

Both sides are awaiting a ruling on pension reform from France's constitutional court on April 14. The court has the power to strike down parts of or even the entire reform.  

 

The police expect around 600,000 to 800,000 participants during Thursday's demonstrations.  

 

Pictures from the restaurant. TT.  

 

The French pension protests Protesters set fire to Macron's favorite bistro  

 

Angry protesters attacked one of President Emmanuel Macron's favorite restaurants in central Paris on Thursday, several media reports. Among other things, the demonstrators allegedly caused the restaurant's awnings to catch fire.  

 

According to the BBC, Macron and his staff celebrated at the La Rotonde restaurant after winning the election in 2017. The British public service company reports at the same time that the large-scale protests were largely peaceful.  

 

More than half a million French people participated in the protests on Thursday, which were triggered by a heavily criticized pension reform which means that the retirement age is raised from 62 to 64 years.  

Protesters in Paris. Aurelien Morissard / AP  

 

Rat throwing at the city hall in Paris during the protests  

 

The demonstrations are underway again in France. In Paris, rat catchers gathered and threw dead rats at the city hall, AP reports. According to trade union representative Natacha Pommet, their intention was to "show the harsh reality of their mission".  

 

Around a hundred protesters blocked the road to Charles de Gaulle airport's terminal one in the morning. Demonstrations have also been held in other cities.  

 

Thursday's mass protest against the government's pension reform is the eleventh since January. On Wednesday, a fruitless round of talks between the trade unions and Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne ended.