France: Thousands protest against Macron's pension reform

M/S Activists holding banner reading (French): 'No to the pension reform', Paris
M/S Protesters holding FO (Force Ouvriere) union flags
C/U Activist blowing pipe
M/S Protesters marching with FO flags in hands
C/U FO union flag
M/S Protesters holding FO flags
W/S Protesters marching with FO flags in hands
M/S Protesters holding banner with pension claims
SOT, Yves Veyrier, secretary-general of FO Union (French) : "It's basically all about the pension reform that the government wants to apply. Since the beginning we told them that we were not agreeing to suppress what exists at the moment. It [pension system] works well, even the Prime Minister said that in France we have 42 regimes guaranteeing us a good pension level, he also told us that other European countries envy us, and recent statistics showed that in France the poverty index among the pensioners is amongst the lowest in Europe, so we don't have any reason to question the [existing] system, surely we have to improve it, we cannot be satisfied with low pensions, but we don't agree with the government's project to introduce the united pension regime based on points, because the biggest problem is not the pension system, but employment."
M/S Protesters holding FO flags
M/S Boy holding FO flag
M/S Protesters holding banner with pension claims
M/S Protesters marching with FO flags in hands
SOT, Damien, FO union member (French): "It's a mess in France. For 10 months nobody has been listening to us, so we keep fighting we have to tell to the young people to come with us and take to the streets."
M/S People holding anti-pension reform banner chanting (French): 'No to pension by points!'
W/S Protesters marching with FO flags in hands
M/S Protesters marching with FO flags in hands
SOT, Sivele, march participant (French): "The idea is a convergence, is to get united all together whatever the forces would be: workers, firemen, hospitals or Yellow Vests, we are here to serve the French people."
M/S Protesters marching with FO flags in hands
W/S Protesters marching with FO flags in hands
SCRIPT
Up to 15,000 people gathered in Paris on Saturday to protest against recently announced pension reform.
The rally, organised by the FO-Force Ouvriere trade union, saw demonstrators wear red jackets with FO logos.
FO Secretary-General Yves Veyrier told Ruptly there wasn't "any reason to question the [existing] system" as it "works well". Veyrier expressed the hope to come back to the negotiating table and stop the reform.
French President Emmanuel Macron's government and seeking to merge France's 42 different pension systems into a single, universal points-based system.
Paris's public transport workers, doctors, lawyers and pilots took to the streets on Saturday to protest the reform, arguing they will lose their special status.