France: Thousands join protest against planned pension reforms

W/S Protesters marching in Paris
M/S Protesters marching with banners
W/S Protesters marching
M/S Protesters waving 'National Confederation of Labour' flags
W/S Protesters burning petards
M/S Protesters chanting Yellow Vests song
W/S Protesters jumping and chanting
W/S Protesters chanting Yellow Vests song
W/S Protesters chanting
SOT, Eric Coquerel, Official from Unsubmissive France far left party (French): "It's a project that is trying to camouflage the truth, which is the fact that we pay per age for the decline of the market. So there is a decline in civilisation and the people don't want to be disappointed. So for this reason since yesterday there is a surplus of unions on the streets, more sectors striking and on December 17 there will be a giant wave." *LOOSE TRANSLATION*
M/S Protesters jumping
W/S Protesters singing and jumping up and down
M/S Protesters holding banner and singing
W/S Protesters singing and jumping up and down
C/U Protesters singing
M/S Protesters chanting (French) 'All together! General Strike!'
W/S Protesters marching with banners and placards
W/S Protesters chanting (French) 'Macron president of bosses'
SOT, Pascal, Rail worker (French): "The people there, you have everybody: there are teachers, railways workers, gas workers, refiners, throughout France you have demonstrations and blockades, but we don't talk about it. But the whole of France is rebelling here. Last week, December 5, you had about 2,000 private companies including companies that we did not think to hear about them: Haribo, Vittel, etc., who laid out strike notices."
W/S Protesters marching
M/S Protesters marching
M/S Protesters following activist wearing bridal veil
W/S Protesters with bridal veils and banners
C/U Banner reading (French) 'Born before 75, marry me!'
M/S Protesters holding banners reading (French) 'Born before 75, marry me!' and 'Women's pension equality'
W/S Protesters with banner reading (French) 'Chili neoliberalism'
SOT, Thierry, Teacher (French): "They are looking for confrontation so we should not disappoint them. We have to go [out to the streets]. We are for the confrontation and we go, we continue the conflict. That's all. It's not complicated. They look for it, they find it. They even managed to anger the CFDT [moderate union rather initially favorable to reform], it's strong. Even the CGC [management union] anyway. They are great."
W/S Protesters chanting (French): 'Strike, blockage until the pension'
M/S Mannequins
C/U Banner reading (French) 'Down with the extreme centre'
W/S Police officers following demonstration
SCRIPT
Thousands of workers joined a massive rally in Paris on Thursday, continuing their campaign against planned pension reforms.
The activists marched across Paris chanting slogans against President Emmanuel Macron and the song 'We are here even if Macon doesn't want it', which has become an anthem for the opposition since the beginning of the Yellow Vests protests.
The protests resumed after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced on Wednesday a two-year-extension of the working period necessary to be assigned a full pension, triggering the anger of workers and trade unions.
The massive strike embraced various sectors, from teachers to railways and gas workers. The public transportation service remains disrupted as nationwide mobilisation reached the one-week mark.