FRANCE YELLOW VESTS WEEK 55:  COUNTING DOWN TO THE GENERAL STRIKE

Much attention in France focused on the general strike involving railroad workers and others Thursday aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron's plans to "reform pensions", a plan seen as a cut in pension benefits for many French workers.

Forces of the Left clearly in the lead in the protests but France's leading opposition politician Marine Le Pen of the National Rally also expressing her opposition to the pension reform calling it a "coup plan" that "will affect all French".

She is also  saying that protest against Macron's plan is acceptable within boundaries.

Week 54 saw a tapering off of Yellow Vests protesters with only 11,458 estimated as a minimum on the "Yellow Number" Facebook page.

When it comes to protests today what is being called an "anti-globalization" protest against "over consumption" blockaded an Amazon warehouse in Drome in southeastern France.


Now a live stream from Toulouse with English narration.....

TOULOUSE LIVE STREAM

The Yellow Vests procession in Toulouse beginning at 230 pm local time with plenty of police in the area.   And the confrontational part of the protest is seen towards the end of this seven minute video with the use of tear gas.....

TOULOUSE ACTE 55 (WEEK 55) VIDEO

From Paris the video of today's Yellow Vests protest.    Week 55 with a procession in the streets...

#acte 55 #paris #giletsjaunes

Another Yellow Vests event in suburban Paris today at Melun at a traffic circle, a traditional location for Yellow Vests protests going back to the beginning of the Yellow Vests.    This three hour video starts at the traffic circle followed by a procession and a rally.

YELLOW VESTS AT MELUN, FRANCE IN THE SUBURBS OF PARIS




The Yellow Vests gathered in Marseille today......YELLOW VESTS-MARSEILLE WEEK 55


The Yellow Vests also in Tours today.....YELLOW VESTS WEEK 55 TOURS


Late tonight videos posted of police attacking Yellow Vests protesters including this one from Montpellier......VIDEO LINK and another one from Caen....VIDEO LINK


For now no statistics on the numbers of protesters today but one can certainly say they were in thousands, but how many thousands is the question?

And again all eyes on what will materialize in France on Thursday when the national strike is set to kick off.

That's all for now on Week 55 of the Yellow Vests protest.