Major French trade unions said they intend to continue their fight against the government's proposed pension reform and called for new protests on February 7 and 11.

The decision was taken after the conclusion of the second mass demonstration of the unions as part of their campaign against the government's planned reform. According to official figures from the French Interior Ministry, 1.2 million protesters took to the streets across the country, 150,000 people more than the first day of strikes and protests held on January 19. Numerous meetings were held in Lyon, Rennes, Rouen, Marseilles, Nantes and Montpellier, but the largest demonstration was held in the French capital: according to the Paris police prefecture, 87,000 people showed up for the trade union demonstration.

Trade unions provide their own data, according to which 2.8 million people took part in marches and demonstrations across the country. In Paris alone, according to the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), about 500,000 demonstrators gathered. At the same time, the independent monitoring center Occurrence estimated the number of people gathered in Paris on Tuesday at 55,000.