02:38Thousands of protesters took to the streets at the call of the local union CGT (General Confederation of Trade Unions) in Nantes on Friday to rally against France's Constitutional Council's decision on pension reform.
"The reason the pension reform raises the retirement age to 64, we are going to explain it to you right now because you were worried, the French people do not understand. 64 is basically the age of the youngest member of the Constitutional Council", said a member of the CGT, addressing rally participants.
Footage features police using tear gas to disperse protesters, as well as demonstrators setting garbage and other objects on fire.
The protest reportedly lasted for several hours, before police slowly pushed back the remaining protesters, with some of them being detained.
Previously, France’s Constitutional Council ruled on Friday that the plan to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 was valid, with the reforms now set to be in force by the end of the year.
Protests have been ongoing since January and intensified after the government forced through the changes without a vote in the National Assembly. The administration argues that reforms are needed to ensure the sustainability of the system.
France: Thousands take to streets in Nantes as Constitutional Council upholds Macron's pension reform
Thousands of protesters took to the streets at the call of the local union CGT (General Confederation of Trade Unions) in Nantes on Friday to rally against France's Constitutional Council's decision on pension reform.
"The reason the pension reform raises the retirement age to 64, we are going to explain it to you right now because you were worried, the French people do not understand. 64 is basically the age of the youngest member of the Constitutional Council", said a member of the CGT, addressing rally participants.
Footage features police using tear gas to disperse protesters, as well as demonstrators setting garbage and other objects on fire.
The protest reportedly lasted for several hours, before police slowly pushed back the remaining protesters, with some of them being detained.
Previously, France’s Constitutional Council ruled on Friday that the plan to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 was valid, with the reforms now set to be in force by the end of the year.
Protests have been ongoing since January and intensified after the government forced through the changes without a vote in the National Assembly. The administration argues that reforms are needed to ensure the sustainability of the system.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets at the call of the local union CGT (General Confederation of Trade Unions) in Nantes on Friday to rally against France's Constitutional Council's decision on pension reform.
"The reason the pension reform raises the retirement age to 64, we are going to explain it to you right now because you were worried, the French people do not understand. 64 is basically the age of the youngest member of the Constitutional Council", said a member of the CGT, addressing rally participants.
Footage features police using tear gas to disperse protesters, as well as demonstrators setting garbage and other objects on fire.
The protest reportedly lasted for several hours, before police slowly pushed back the remaining protesters, with some of them being detained.
Previously, France’s Constitutional Council ruled on Friday that the plan to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 was valid, with the reforms now set to be in force by the end of the year.
Protests have been ongoing since January and intensified after the government forced through the changes without a vote in the National Assembly. The administration argues that reforms are needed to ensure the sustainability of the system.