France pension reform: Hundreds of thousands continue strikes and protests

France is bracing for widespread protests and strikes on Tuesday, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to participate.

The strikes and protests are in reaction to President Emmanuel Macron’s use of executive powers to push through an unpopular pension age raise from 62 to 64.

The crisis has become the biggest domestic challenge of Macron’s second term, with strikes expected to affect several sectors including refineries, bin collections, rail transport, air travel, and schools.

There are fears of violent clashes between police and protesters, especially in Paris and several other cities. Lawyers have complained about arbitrary arrests, injuries, and heavy-handedness during crowd control, leading to controversy over policing tactics.

The crisis has been intensified by unrest following environmental demonstrations in the west of France.

Breaking - King Charles's France visit postponed after pension protests — Breaking – King Charles’s France visit postponed after pension protests

Protests that initially began as two months of regular, peaceful trade union-organised strikes have evolved into more impromptu gatherings in recent days, with pockets of unrest and attacks on politicians’ constituency offices.

Ahead of Tuesday’s trade union-led strike and protests, authorities are expecting more young people to participate, possibly twice or three times as many as on the last big day of strike action last Thursday.

The French civil aviation authority has already asked airlines to cancel 20% of flights for Tuesday and Wednesday, while high school unions say up to 200 schools are blockaded by pupils.

President Macron has summoned government ministers and senior politicians for crisis meetings on Monday to discuss the crisis, but unions have vowed to continue their strike until their demands are met.