mobilization down with 1.3 million demonstrators in France, according to the CGT, and 440,000 according to the Ministry of the Interior

A new day of action against pension reform. The fifth day of national mobilization against the reform project was the least attended since the start of the movement, according to figures released on Thursday, February 16. In the late afternoon, the CGT announced that 1.3 million people had demonstrated in France, while the Interior Ministry reported 440,000 protesters nationwide.

Saturday, th between 963,000 demonstrators, according to the Ministry of the Interior, and “more than 2.5 million” , according to the CGT, had paraded in all the processions of France. The second day of action against the reform, January 31, remains the one that mobilized the most, with 2.8 million demonstrators according to the organizers, 1.27 million according to the Ministry of the Interior.

Mobilization was also down in Paris on Thursday. 300,000 people demonstrated against the reform, according to the CGT. The police headquarters reported the presence of 37,000 demonstrators in the Paris procession.

“Steering the spotlight” on mobilization in medium-sized towns

The leaders of the eight main French unions had decided to demonstrate in Albi (Tarn), in order to “shining the spotlight” on this France of very mobilized medium-sized cities, according to the general secretary of the CFDT, Laurent Berger. “Discontent, determination and combativeness are intact”he assured before the start of the demonstration, which brought together 10,000 people according to the prefecture and 50,000 according to the unions – as much as the number of inhabitants of this city.

In most cities, the ranks were more sparse than for the fourth day of mobilization on Saturday. In Toulouse, the police counted 14,000 people against 25,000 on Saturday, and they were 3,500 demonstrators in Lille, against 10,700 on Saturday.