Stéphane Burgatt, with AFP, edited by Julia Solans / Photo credit: Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP
President Emmanuel Macron was welcomed under the distant noise of pans in Ganges, in the Hérault, while a visit to the Louise Michel college is planned. This trip, devoted to education, is a new opportunity for disgruntled French people to express themselves about the pension reform.
An arrival to the sound of pans and all utensils that can emit noise. Present at the Louise Michel College in Ganges since the end of the morning, Emmanuel Macron talks with teachers, students and parents of students. The Head of State effectively made education one of his priorities at the end of his last speech.
A hunt for pans by the police
In the city center, a noisy procession quickly formed with the help of pans and other kitchen utensils to welcome Emmanuel Macron. However, the disgruntled French did not have the opportunity to approach the college due to the blockade carried out by the police. Pans were even confiscated by the gendarmes while a prefectural decree prohibited “portable sound devices”.
More than 600 people gathered to express their dissatisfaction. Among them, citizens particularly revolted by this hunt for pans and any element deemed disturbing. “This morning I was forbidden to return with a sign. Everything is closed. What is he afraid of?”, indignant Hélène, a retired teacher before questioning a lack of democracy.
“We still see it as a contempt”
The barricades to prevent the French from approaching the college did not prevent them from being heard. Some even climbed to the top of the war memorial. For some local elected officials, the non-invitation of the Head of State is a new affront. “We weren’t even invited to meet the president. So for us, we still see it as a contempt,” says Régis Bayle, the socialist president of the intercommunality.