Street demonstration in Paris against pension reform keep momentum

October 19, 2010, Paris. After weeks of confrontation between the unions and the government on the reform of the pension system, streets demonstrations show little if any sign of weakening. According to the police, whose figures are usually conservative, the total was 1.1 million protesters throughout the country, from 1.2 million on October 12. I followed a march from Place d’Italie to Invalides, a rather continuous flow of people, most of them industry workers and public services employees brought in by the unions (here the CGT), and many young people from high-school or university. The left-wing and marxist parties were here to pass their political ideas, vocal, but probably in tens each. The meeting point, the vast Invalides plaza was totally locked by the police so that I had to retrace my steps to get out of it. The protest was rather impressive, but peaceful. I didn’t see any burning cars or broken shop windows, only a street lamp lying on the ground in pieces. I even captured moments of joy and kindness with my camera.