February 17, 2023
location_onFrance
France’s General Confederation of Labour (CGT) said 1.3 million people participated in the fifth day of nationwide protests on Thursday, the lowest figure since the movement started on January 19.
In a press release on Thursday, the union further highlighted its plans to “shut down” France on March 7.
Philippe Martinez, head of CGT, said the march was planned to “keep up pressure on MPs,” adding that “the numbers aren’t so important.” He attended a demonstration in Albi where 55,000 participants responded to the call to strike.
“After the school holidays, we’ll need to turn up the volume,” he said.
Unlike on previous strike days, most main line trains and the Paris metro operated without any major disruptions, as reported by state-owned France 24.
30% of flights from Paris-Orly were canceled, while Toulouse, Marseille, and Lyon each reduced their volume by 20%, according to the Notice to Air Missions.
