THE HAGUE: Protesters disrupted French President Emmanuel Macron during his keynote speech about European sovereignty on Tuesday during a state visit to the Netherlands.
Macron has faced a series of strikes and protests in France against his proposed pension reforms, with a new day of industrial action scheduled for Thursday.
During Macron’s speech at the Amare theatre in The Hague, two female protesters held up a yellow banner criticizing him as a “President of violence and hypocrisy,” while a male protester held a blue banner asking, “Where is French democracy? When did we lose it?”
The protesters, who were in the audience, shouted their slogans before being escorted out of the hall by security guards after about a minute.
Protesters chant slogans against Macron
Outside the theatre, around two dozen protesters also chanted slogans. In response, Macron stated that having social debate was important and that he could answer any questions the protesters had about France’s current situation.
However, he warned that people who violate laws they disagree with are putting democracy at risk.
Macron is currently facing significant opposition to his proposed pension overhaul, which involves increasing the retirement age from 62 to 64 and requiring people to work longer for a full payout.
This is one of the biggest challenges he has faced in his second term as President.
