Striking sanitation workers in Paris will return to work on Wednesday – ending perhaps one of the most enduring symbols of opposition to French President Emmanuel Marcon’s controversial pension law, as nationwide protests also appeared to be dying down.
Clean-up crews were tasked on Wednesday to pick up piles of rubbish accumulated during their week-long strike starting March 6 — as well as debris from the streets after the tenth nationwide protest against pension reforms a day earlier.
Piles of rubbish weighing up to 10,000 tonnes along the streets of the French capital – equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower – have become a conspicuous visual and olfactory symbol of opposition to Marcon’s bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.
PROTESTS IN FRANCE AGAINST MACRON’S PENSION REFORMS ESCAL AS POLICE USE 4,000 NON-LETHAL SCATTER GRENADES
In a decision that caused waves of relief among some Parisians, the powerful CGT union of sanitation workers announced that the three-week strike would be “suspended” from Wednesday. They will join others who have been legally requisitioned over the past week to help with the daunting cleanup process.
“It’s good that the garbage is being collected. It is very unsanitary and some residents are already having problems with rats and mice. It can be dangerous if left standing for too long,” said artist Gil Franco, 73.
The suspension of the strike, coupled with the dwindling number of protesters, is seen by some as the beginning of the end for the anti-pensions bill demonstrations.
Demonstrators walk past burning garbage cans during a demonstration in Paris March 28, 2023. Sanitation workers in Paris will return to work on Wednesday as protests appear to be calming. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
“People are fed up. There has been too much violence. Paris is a mess and I want to get on with normal life,” said 32-year-old Parisian Amandine Betout, who went to the Le Marais district to get her morning croissant. She said it’s a “good thing” that trash is being swept off the streets, although the cleanup may take time.
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An artist, nicknamed Bisk, who has attracted attention for his creative sculptures made from rubbish, said his work brought a lightness to the otherwise tense protests and reminded Parisians of the lighter side of life.
“People come by very seriously, then see a monster’s face or a little man’s face and leave with a smile. People thanked me for dotting the mood,” said the 30-year-old artist.
Bisk said he’s been working on around 100 trash can “sculptures” since March 6, creating fantastical monster faces with crazy eyes or little friendly men – which have taken on a life of their own on social media.
“Everyone’s tense and I get stopped by the police when I’m working because they think I’m going to set the garbage on fire — but I’m just making art,” Bisk said. “I’m not political. I just turn crap into gold.”
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The protests in Paris on Tuesday saw dozens of arrests and outbreaks of violence, although far fewer people took part in the action across the country.
The Home Office put the number of protesters nationwide at 740,000, up from more than 1 million five days ago when protesters expressed anger at Macron’s order to ram the law without a vote by Parliament.
For unions, the fight against the law is far from over. An eleventh day of action is planned for April 6th.
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