small breathlessness in the region, departure to Paris

13:12 – 180,000 people in Marseille according to the union

The intersyndicale has advanced an estimate of 180,000 demonstrators in Marseille this Tuesday, February 7. Official figures have not yet been released.

12:59 – Philippe Martinez threatens “more marked actions”

Asked by BFM TV ahead of the Paris rally, the secretary general of the CGT threatened to harden the movement. According to him, if “the government continues to be stubborn despite the mobilizations, yes, it will be necessary to move up a gear with more marked, longer actions, harder, more numerous, more massive and renewable strikes”.

Despite the first echoes of a drop in mobilization in some processions, the trade unionist welcomed the first estimates; “The first numbers we have are between 19 and 31 [janvier] and yet we are in a period of school holidays. With all those who will come on Saturday and who did not come today, we will be well over 31” he said confidently.

12:49 – Nearly 18,000 people in Brest

According to estimates by the Breton media Telegram, nearly 18,000 people beat the pavement in Brest to oppose the pension reform. A figure below the mobilization of January 31 which had brought together around 20,000 people.

12:41 – Between 15,000 and 20,000 demonstrators in Caen

According to the unions, 20,000 people demonstrated in Caen on Tuesday February 7, a figure reduced by the estimates of the authorities with, according to them, 15,000 demonstrators.

12:05 – Between 23,000 and 25,000 demonstrators in Toulouse

According to the police, there were more than 20,000 demonstrating in the streets of Toulouse with an estimate of between 23,000 and 25,000 people pounding the pavement. The unions have not yet given their figure. On January 31, the prefecture had counted nearly 34,000 demonstrators.

11:56 – Jean-Luc Mélenchon: “We will never leave them alone”

Questioned in Paris and not in Marseille as during the last two mobilizations, Jean-Luc Mélenchon hammered home his opposition to the pension reform. The left-wing politician notably warned that it is “this week that a lot of things will be played out”. He also added that the situation was “an arm wrestle”. Speaking of the deputies of the presidential majority, the founder of insubordinate France announced that the deputies of Nupe would “never leave them alone” because “it is our duty, we were elected on a position concerning pensions and that it is our duty to defend it,” he added.

11:22 – The Attac organization in front of the National Assembly

Before the National Assembly where the pension reform has been debated since yesterday, the Association for the taxation of financial transactions and for citizen action (Attac) has decided to carry out a protest operation. The association wishes “to denounce the illegitimate, unfair and unjustified nature of the reform”.

11:13 – The Marseille procession ready to leave

The demonstrators gather at the Old Port of Marseille, the procession should start in a few minutes. There Provence reports a procession which “is much less garnished than during the first two gatherings”. The city center will be closed to traffic during the event.

10:56 – More than 425 kilometers of traffic jams in Ile de France

This morning, in anticipation of the strike and disruptions in transport, many Ile-de-France residents traveled by car. Effect immediately felt on the roads; depending on the website Sytadin which reports on road traffic in Ile de France, more than 425 kilometers of traffic jams between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. this Tuesday were recorded for a classic average of around 300 km.

10:39 – The procession set off in Toulouse

The demonstration started in Toulouse a few minutes ago in the direction of the Pont des Catalans with the Jean-Jaurès metro as its terminus. On January 31, 80,000 demonstrators gathered according to the CGT and 34,000 people according to the police.

10:28 – Philippe Martinez criticizes the President

Guest this morning on RTL, the CGT trade unionist criticized the action of Emmanuel Macron. “We are dealing with a President of the Republic, who by oversized ego, wants to show that he is capable of passing a reform regardless of the opinion of public opinion” he claimed. He felt that the President was “playing with fire”, and that he did not see “many deputies, especially in the majority who listen to the people”, he declared.

10:11 – Two irreconcilable oppositions

The deputy of Lot (LR), Aurélien Pradié launched an invective on the left during his visit to Public Senate “I think that basically, the deputies of Nupes are becoming useful idiots of the government” he declared. The deputy, however, also opposed to the pension reform, unlike a large part of his political camp the Republicans, felt that their opposition was doing the executive a service.

09:56 – Several high schools blocked this morning

In the morning several high schools were blocked by students. In Paris, several filter barriers have been set up by students at Lycée Sophie Germain, and at Lycée Charlemagne, Turgot and Montaigne. The Balzac high school was completely blocked this morning. The police intervened in the 8th arrondissement at the Racine high school, and clashes broke out. The police used tear gas to try to unblock the school.