Dozens of protesters hissed at President Emmanuel Macron as he was leaving the city hall building after his arrival in the small town of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges – graphic video was broadcast by BFMTV. As he was speaking with reporters, one of the protesting rail workers suddenly interrupted Macron, having failed to keep his emotions in check.
“Do you think that I could drive a train at 65? We will be kicked out [before reaching that age],” the irate man yelled.
The president, however, did not hesitate to get into a war of words with the protester in an attempt to reassure him that his remarks were “not true,” albeit admitted that the problem was in the country’s “system.”
“Today you’re more protected than civil servants,” Macron argued.
VIDEO - "Vous croyez que je pourrais conduire un train à 65 ans?" Emmanuel Macron interpellé par un cheminot à Saint-Dié https://t.co/HL7mNDx5Vs pic.twitter.com/fBB0QHOezF
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) April 18, 2018
Later, Macron commented on the incident, offering his own explanation to reporters:
“There are such people as activists, they have nothing in common either with railway workers, or with the residents of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. These are people, who decide to be against everyone, who are against the Republic […] they don’t want anything, they simply want to set up blockades, protest and be called ‘activists’. […] I will not postpone reforms so that I can take an unimpeded walk in the streets,” the president said.
"Ce sont des gens qui décident d’être contre tout", réagit Emmanuel Macron après avoir été interpellé à Saint-Dié pic.twitter.com/d2fmXzcAGx
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) 18 апреля 2018 г.
The reform’s goal is to make the railway sector, currently monopolized by the SNCF, more competitive and put an end to the special status of railroad workers, which provides them with certain privileges, such as early retirement and job security.
READ MORE: Several Thousand People Rally in Marseilles Against Macron Policy (PHOTO, VIDEO)
The SNCF workers’ strike began on April 3 and is expected to last until the end of June, unless the government and trade unions reach an agreement. The manifestations have caused massive train traffic disruptions, with rail workers gearing up for another two-day strike on April 18-19 after the National Assembly passed the bill.
