Demonstrators Clash with Police as Pension Protests Persist in Paris (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Demonstrators battled with riot police on the streets of Paris during the sixth nationwide day of coordinated protest against planned pension reforms.
French President Emmanuel Macron revealed in January his intention to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030, sparking widespread protests across the country.
Demonstrators appeared determined though strikes have shown signs of faltering ahead of a key parliamentary vote on raising the retirement age by two years to 64.
Unions were in a race against time to keep up pressure on the government, as their sixth day of protests against the reforms came just a day before the winter school holidays that could break their momentum.
Unions have so far been successful in mobilizing bigger and more diverse crowds to protest on the streets, especially in small and mid-sized cities across France, with a demonstration on Jan. 31 attracting 1.27 million people.
Union leaders are trying to maintain momentum until March 7, when they have threatened to "bring the country to a halt" if Macron doesn't drop his reform bill, which is currently being debated in parliament.
Macron is pushing for the reform, which he has said is vital to avoid the collapse of the creaking state pension system.