Protests In France After Macron's Speech In The Netherlands

Protests in France erupted Monday as President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech in the Netherlands, where he is on a two-day visit. This is his first after enacting the pension reform law.

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Paris, Rennes, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Marseille, among others, saw hundreds of protesters rally in the streets, local media reported, noting that in the French capital, 2 000 people joined in three marches.

Barricades were burned, police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, and at least 11 arrests were made. Unions are preparing for a twelfth round of protests on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a group of protesters disrupted French President Emmanuel Macron's speech at the Nexus Institute in The Hague by shouting "Where is French democracy?" Security guards forcibly removed the protesters from the lecture hall.

During his speech, the president said the modification will come into force in September. Referring to the millions of French people who demonstrated against the reform, Macron said that "no one, least of all me, can remain deaf to this demand for social justice and the renewal of our democratic life."

Last Saturday, Macron signed into law the controversial law raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 and the requirement to contribute 43 years from 2027 to collect the full pension.