The cauldron concert welcomed the President of France Emmanuel Macron during his first visit to the province after ratification of the controversial pension reform.
Macron reacted to the noise raised by the crowd during a factory visit in Alsace, commenting:Pots won’t help France progress.”
The French President said society cannot only listen to those who “make the most noise” in an attempt to highlight the positive aspects of labor law. “You will always see me with people. I have no right to stop,” he continued during a visit to a timber construction factory in the community of Mittersholz.
Macron entered the factory without passing the protesters waiting for him outside. According to French media, there was a brief power outage during his stay. Asked if the hardline union CGT was to blame for the disruption, a spokesman declined to comment.
By the end of the morning, the police pushed back about a hundred protesters who had gathered in the center of the village, armed with bowlers, bells and horns. The crowd lay on the ground before being removed by security forces.
“The demonstration took place, the call for a demonstration was peaceful (…) When a president is so afraid of his people (we should) doubt his legitimacy,” said Bertrand Blindoer, a spokesman for the CGT union.
On Tuesday evening, about 300 protesters waited for Macron during a private visit to Saint-Denis near Paris.
However, many members of the government or those close to the president believe that Macron should “renew” his relationship with citizens. It’s “important” that he visit different areas, said one of his closest aides, transport minister Clement Bonn, to “listen to some of the grievances” of people.
After the promulgation of the pension reform in January, the French president stayed at the Elysee Palace and made several trips around the country.
Source: APE-MPE-AFP-Reuters
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