PARIS: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Saturday to demonstrate against Emmanuel Macron’s policies, but the turnout fell short of expectations and the president said nothing would stop his economic reforms.
Organizers had called for a “popular tide” of protest for the marches, which were organized by 60 unions, political parties and associations angry at Macron’s policies perceived to favor the rich.
However, the turnout was well below previous similar marches and Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said it was “a bit thin.”
The ministry estimated that just over 93,000 demonstrated in 142 places throughout the country, while the left-wing CGT union put the number at 250,000.
In Paris, police reported just 21,000 protesters, while the CGT claimed 80,000.
Occurrence, an independent monitoring group working for media outlets including AFP, said 31,700 demonstrated in the capital.
That compared with a police count of 40,000 and the CGT’s count of 100,000 for the last such protest in the French capital on May 5.
The CGT had claimed a national turnout of 323,000 on March 22.
Macron said Friday during a visit to Russia that the protests “won’t stop” his progress.
“I won’t preside in light of the polls or demonstrations, because we have done too much of that,” (in the past) he said.
Saturday’s marches follow strikes on Tuesday when public-sector employees from street sweepers to teachers joined rail workers in walking out over what they called an “attack” against public services.
It was the third day of stoppages and demonstrations by public workers since last year’s sweeping election win by Macron, who has pledged to reduce spending, trim jobs and overhaul large parts of the vast French state.
PCF communist party secretary-general Pierre Laurent addressed the crowds, saying: “When we have power so arrogant, so authoritarian in his methods, if the country does not show its strength and unity, we will not be able to push the boundaries.”
Forty-three people were arrested in Paris, most at the start of the demonstration at the Place de la Bastille.
Police said some carried weapons, while others were held for violent acts.
Several dozen hooded demonstrators pelted police with bottles and other projectiles. The authorities used teargas after seven officers were hurt, but the clashes were limited, AFP journalists reported.
Interior Minister Gerard Collomb earlier told AFP the authorities want to limit the activity of the ultra-leftwing blocs who attacked police and property during clashes on May 1.
“I hope that this parade will be a calm parade, where people can express their opinion. We are in a republican state and those who want to break, loot, even attack the police force, are arrested in a preventive way,” he added.
In the southern city of Marseille, left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melenchon urged protesters to form a “popular front, which the people need.”
“The hard head of Emmanuel Macron must hear this message of the people,” the France Insoumis (Unbowed) party chief said.
“The country is rich, the country has to share. We’ve had enough of the same people always having everything.
“In the name of the poor, humiliated, homeless, abandoned miners, we tell you ‘Enough!’” he said.
France has one of the biggest public sectors in Europe relative to the size of its economy. The country has not balanced its budget since the 1970s, leading to a public debt equivalent to nearly 100 percent of GDP.
The unions accuse Macron, a former investment banker, of wanting to destroy public services — a vital source of employment and a pillar of communal life in many parts of the country.
While the CGT took part in Saturday’s protests, the two other main unions, the CFDT and FO, did not saying they were too politicized.
Thousands march in France against Macron reforms
Thousands march in France against Macron reforms
- Organizers had called for a “popular tide” of protest for the marches, which were organized by 60 unions, political parties and associations angry at Macron’s policies perceived to favor the rich.
- Occurrence, an independent monitoring group working for media outlets including AFP, said 31,700 demonstrated in the capital.
UN extends mandate for UN peacekeepers in Western Sahara, with Algeria protesting over human rights
The vote was 12 countries in favor, Russia and Mozambique abstaining, and Al geria, which supports the Polisario Front, one of the parties to the nearly 50-year dispute, not voting.
Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony in 1975, sparking a conflict with the Algerian-backed pro-independence Polisario Front. The region is believed to have considerable offshore oil deposits and mineral resources and is slightly larger than the United Kingdom.
The UN brokered a 1991 ceasefire and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor the truce and help prepare a referendum on the territory’s future. Disagreements over who is eligible to vote have prevented the referendum from taking place, and Morocco insists it will now only support autonomy for the Western Sahara.
The Polisario Front renewed armed conflict in 2020, ending a 29-year truce, and tensions have escalated.
Algeria’s UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama tried unsuccessfully to get two amendments inserted into the US-drafted resolution, and lashed out at the United States for reportedly not including its requests including for the UN mission known as MINURSO to monitor human rights in Western Sahara in the resolution.
US deputy ambassador Robert Wood said the resolution makes clear the Security Council’s support for Staffan de Mistura, the secretary-general’s personal envoy to Western Sahara, “as he intensifies efforts to advance an enduring and dignified resolution for Western Sahara without further delay.”
Wood said it is “more urgent than ever to reach a political solution for Western Sahara,” noting that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently reiterated that the US views Morocco’s autonomy proposal “as serious, credible, and realistic and one potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara.”
Earlier this month, UN envoy de Mistura proposed dividing Western Sahara as one potential way to satisfy both sides and give residents a chance to decide under who they want to live, but he told the council that both Morocco and the Polisario Front showed “no sign of willingness to explore it further.”
German lawyers ask court to block ship allegedly carrying explosives to Israeli company
- German-based Lubeca Marine, which owns the MV Kathrin, said the ship “was never scheduled to make any port calls in Israel”
BERLIN: Human rights lawyers have filed a court appeal in Berlin seeking to block a 150-metric-ton shipment of military-grade explosives aboard German cargo ship MV Kathrin which they say is to be delivered to Israel’s biggest defense contractor. The European Legal Support Center said on Wednesday the action was filed on behalf of three Palestinians from Gaza, arguing that the shipment of primarily RDX explosives could be used in munitions for Israel’s war in Gaza, potentially contributing to alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel denies accusations that it has committed war crimes in the Gaza Strip, saying its forces abide by international humanitarian law while fighting Palestinian militants who operate in densely populated civilian areas.
German-based Lubeca Marine, which owns the MV Kathrin, said the ship “was never scheduled to make any port calls in Israel” and had recently discharged its cargo, originally destined for Bar, Montenegro, without disclosing where the discharge took place.
The company declined to disclose details of the cargo for contractual reasons, but said it complied fully with all international and EU regulations, ensuring necessary permits are obtained before any operations.
The ELSC said the RDX shipment was destined for Israeli Military Industries, a division of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest defense contractor. Elbit Systems declined to comment.
“We never claimed that the Kathrin was bound for Israel (itself), it’s the cargo which is bound for Elbit Systems,” ELSC lawyer Ahmed Abed told Reuters regarding the group’s appeal filed at Berlin’s Administrative Court. “The company ignored all the warnings.”
LSEG data and vessel-tracking website Marine Traffic indicated that the MV Kathrin had docked in the major Egyptian Mediterranean port of Alexandria on Monday and was last seen there.
According to the port of Alexandria’s website, the ship, which it identified as German, unloaded military equipment in Alexandria and was set to depart on Nov. 5.
Blinken urges China to rein in Pyongyang amid warnings that North Korean troops were set to join Russia’s war against Ukraine
- Some 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, 8,000 in Kursk region
- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin believes Ukraine can hold Russian territory in Kursk
WASHINGTON: The United States expects North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region to enter the fight against Ukraine in the coming days, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday as he pressed China to use its influence to rein in Pyongyang.
Blinken spoke after North Korea conducted its longest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile test earlier on Thursday and South Korea warned that Pyongyang could get missile technology from Russia in exchange for helping with the war in Ukraine.
The top US diplomat said there were 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, including as many as 8,000 in the Kursk region where Ukrainian forces continue to hold territory after fighting their way into the Russian border area in August.
At a press conference with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their South Korean counterparts, Blinken said Russia has been training the North Korean soldiers in artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, and basic infantry operations, indicating they “fully intend” to use the forces in frontline operations.
They would become legitimate military targets if they enter the battlefield, Blinken said.
“We’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days,” he said.
During their meeting, the US and South Korea discussed a range of options for responding, Blinken added, saying Moscow’s use of North Korean soldiers in its “meat grinder” war against Ukraine was a “clear sign of weakness.”
Austin said the US would announce new security assistance for Ukraine in coming days.
Russia-North Korea Cooperation
Blinken and his South Korea and Japanese counterparts condemned the ICBM launch as a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The flight-time of the missile was 87 minutes, according to South Korea, putting nearly all of the United States within range.
The Kremlin on Thursday declined to comment when asked if Russia was helping North Korea to develop its missile and other military technology.
Blinken said Beijing, like Washington, should be very concerned about what Russia might be doing in order to enhance North Korea’s military capacities because it was destabilizing to Asia.
Austin said the Pentagon was very early in its assessment phase of the launch “and we don’t see any indication at this point that there was Russian involvement.”
Blinken said the US and South Korea agreed China should do more to curb North Korea’s provocative actions and US officials had had a “robust conversation” with Beijing this week.
“They know well the concerns that we have, and the expectations that, both in word and deed, they’ll use the influence that they have to work to curb these activities,” Blinken said of Chinese officials.
Beijing, partners with both Moscow and Pyongyang, has so far repeated calls for deescalation by all sides and a political settlement to the Korean conflict.
The United States, France, Japan, Malta, South Korea, Slovenia and Britain requested a UN Security Council meeting over the ICBM launch and two diplomats said it would likely take place on Monday.
Washington says China, which entered a “no limits” partnership with Moscow ahead of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has been supporting the Kremlin’s war with dual use goods to prop up the Russian defense industrial base.
China rejects the US accusations about what it calls normal trade with Russia.
Austin said Ukraine could hold on to Russian territory in Kursk, and that the number of North Korean troops pales in comparison to casualties Russian forces recently have been suffering — some 1,250 a day.
“I do believe that they can hold on to the territory, if they choose to do that. They do have options,” Austin said of Ukrainian troops.
Many Western analysts argue China should be alarmed by any North Korean participation in Russia’s war, saying it’s a sign Pyongyang has reduced its reliance on Beijing and that its involvement would galvanize closer ties between Washington’s European and Asian allies.
Nonetheless, Sydney Seiler, a former US national intelligence officer for North Korea, said China was not disturbed enough to actively oppose the deployments.
“I don’t think China openly supports this. But at the same time, they’re not going to do what’s necessary to stop it,” he said.
Kamala Harris says Trump’s comment on women ‘is offensive to everybody’
- Trump had said he would "protect" women whether they “like it or not,” referring to abortion restrictions that he would push for if he becomes president again
- “This is just the latest on a long series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency,” Harris responded
PHOENIX, Arizona: Kamala Harris said Thursday that Donald Trump’s comment that he would protect women whether they “like it or not” shows that the Republican presidential nominee does not understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies.”
“I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way,” Harris said before she set out to spend the day campaigning in the Western battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.
She followed up those remarks at her rally in Phoenix: “He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what’s in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women.”
The comments by Trump come as he has struggled to connect with women voters and as Harris courts women in both parties with a message centered on freedom. She’s making the pitch that women should be free to make their own decisions about their bodies and that if Trump is elected, more restrictions will follow.
Trump appointed three of the justices to the US Supreme Court who formed the conservative majority that overturned federal abortion rights. As the fallout from the 2022 decision spreads, he has taken to claiming at public events and in social media posts that he would “protect women” and ensure they wouldn’t be “thinking about abortion.”
At a rally Wednesday evening near Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump told his supporters that aides had urged him to stop using the phrase because it was “inappropriate.”
Then he added a new bit to the protector line. He said he told his aides: “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”
Harris said the remark was part of a pattern of troubling statements by Trump.
“This is just the latest on a long series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency,” she said.
Harris tied Trump’s comments to his approach to reproductive rights, but Trump generally speaks more of protecting women from criminals, terrorists and foreign adversaries, in keeping with the bleak picture he paints of a country in decline.
“I’m going to protect them from migrants coming in. I’m going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles and lots of other things,” Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
He seemed to tie in abortion when he first used the “protector” language in a Truth Social post and at a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 20. He assured the women who would be “protected” that they “will no longer be thinking about abortion.”
The dispute showed signs Thursday of further entrenching each candidate’s supporters.
It was not only women who described Trump’s remarks as offensive. At the Harris rally in Phoenix, Edison Kinlicheenie, 50, said he sees Trump more as a threat than a protector, noting that the former president has a track record of preying on women.
“I have a wife and a daughter, so I wouldn’t let no predator like that come around” them, Kinlicheenie said.
At a Trump rally in Albuquerque, Sarah Pyle, 41, cited the opposition to allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s events to portray Trump as someone who helps women.
“I don’t want my girls to grow up in a world like this,” the Albuquerque mother said, referring to the controversy. “We fought for women’s rights for so long, and now we’re giving them back to men. It makes no sense.”
More broadly, Trump and Republicans have struggled with how to talk about abortion rights, particularly as women around the nation are grappling with obtaining proper medical care because of abortion restrictions that have had implications far beyond the ability to end an unwanted pregnancy.
Trump has given contradictory answers about his position on abortion, at some points saying that women should be punished for having abortions and showcasing the justices he appointed. During his successful 2016 campaign, he told voters that if he were elected, he would appoint justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and said he was “pro-life.”
But in recent weeks he’s promised to veto a national abortion ban, after repeatedly refusing to make such a pledge. He’s said the states should regulate care and said some laws were “too tough.”
Since 2022, the patchwork of state laws on abortion has created uneven medical care. Some women have died. Others have bled in emergency room parking lots or became critically ill from sepsis as doctors in states with strict abortion bans send pregnant women away until they are sick enough to warrant medical care. That includes women who never intended to end pregnancies. Both infant and maternal mortality has risen.
Harris’ campaign has highlighted Trump’s statements around women. In one campaign ad, a woman who became gravely ill with sepsis after a pregnancy complication stands in front of a mirror looking at a large scar on her abdomen, as audio plays of Trump’s comments about protecting women.
Harris hopes abortion will be a strong motivator for women at the ballot box.
In early voting so far, 1.2 million more women than men have voted across the seven battleground states, according to data from analytics firm TargetSmart.
That doesn’t necessarily translate into Democratic gains. But in the 2020 presidential election, there was a 9 percentage point difference between men and women in support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters.
The Democratic ticket was supported by 55 percent of women and 46 percent of men. That was essentially unchanged from the 2018 midterms, when VoteCast found a 10-point gender gap, with 58 percent of women and 48 percent of men backing Democrats in congressional races.
UN rapporteur urges climate activist’s release ahead of COP29
GENEVA: The UN rapporteur on environmental defenders on Thursday urged Azerbaijan to free Anar Mammadli, saying his detention seemed aimed at silencing climate advocates ahead of November’s COP29 summit.
Michel Forst voiced alarm over the alleged “persecution, penalization and harassment” of Mammadli, who has now been in pre-trial detention for six months on “allegedly trumped-up criminal charges” in what the rapporteur called “apparent reprisal for his environmental activism.”
“I am gravely concerned about the deterioration in the treatment of Mr.Mammadli and the crackdowns on civil society actors, including environmental defenders,” Forst said in a statement.
Mammadli risks up to eight years behind bars on smuggling charges which human rights groups claim are bogus.
He and activist Bashir Suleymanli had formed a civil society group called Climate of Justice Initiative, which set out to promote environmental justice in the tightly-controlled, oil-rich nation.
The COP29 UN climate summit is being held in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku from November 11-22.
Forst said it appeared that the charges and the lengthy detention “were a form of retaliation against Mr. Mammadli for his efforts in the lead up to COP29.”
His ongoing detention on charges subject only to a preliminary investigation “therefore appears grossly unreasonable and disproportionate.”
“The length of Mr. Mammadli’s pre-trial detention also strongly indicates that it is a measure that is punitive in nature, aiming to intimidate Mr. Mammadli and other environmental defenders from speaking out, particularly in the lead up to COP29. This is unacceptable.”
Mammadli’s health has deteriorated in detention and served to “further penalize” him, Forst said, calling for his immediate release and for the charges to be “immediately dropped.”
As UN special rapporteur, Forst is tasked with taking measures to protect any person experiencing or at imminent threat of penalization, persecution or harassment for seeking to exercise their rights under the convention.
Azerbaijan is a party to the convention.
The former Soviet republic wedged between Russia and Iran has faced considerable scrutiny over its hosting of COP29.
