More than 13,000 demonstrators in Pau, 8,000 in Châteauroux or 6,500 in Mulhouse: the demonstrations against the pension reform this Thursday, January 19 exceeded those of 2019 in many medium-sized towns, according to figures from the authorities.
Pension reform: relive the events of this day of mobilization
Processions provided, sometimes more than three years ago. As in Angoulême, where the police counted 9,000 participants, almost double the first mobilization against the previous pension reform.
The gauge of December 5, 2019 is also clearly exceeded in other southwestern prefectures such as Périgueux (6,500), Agen (5,000) and Guéret (3,300).
Strong mobilization also in Chartres (10,000), Alès (7,200), Boulogne-sur-Mer (5,200), Belfort (4,000) or Auch (3,500), among others.
Figures above those of 2019
In large cities, the figures were often higher than those of December 5, 2019, such as in Toulouse (36,000), Nantes (25,000) or Lyon (23,000), and sometimes slightly lower such as in Bordeaux (16,000) or Montpellier (15,000).
Pension reform: how far will the showdown go?
As usual, the counts of the authorities differ from those of the unions, most of the time from simple to double as in Orléans (from 12,000 to 25,000), except in Marseilles where the difference varies from one to five (between 26,000 and 140,000). Some estimates are conversely very close, as in Tours (between 14,000 and 15,000).
The unions were planning a total of 250 rallies throughout France, with the stated objective of bringing together more than a million people, when the authorities were counting on a range of 550,000 to 750,000.
