Pot-bashing, a form of protest with a long history in France, began during Macron’s address to the nation on Monday evening after he signed the bill into law over the weekend.
“It’s not saucepans that will enable France to move forward,” Macron said as he visited a wood factory in the village.
“The reality across the country is not just those making noise with pans or grumbling.”
“You will always see me with people… I have to keep going,” he added.
The president made very few public appearances to speak to voters during the three months leading up to the legislation being signed into law, whose flagship measure is hiking the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Political opponents and trade unions have urged protesters to maintain their campaign against the law and called for a new day of mass protest on May 1.
‘Expressions of anger’
The images of the heckling come as polls show Macron’s popularity ratings close to their lowest ever levels.
The next presidential elections in France are not until 2027 and Macron by law cannot stand a third consecutive time. But analysts have warned the current situation is playing into the hands of far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
The scenes recall Macron’s visits around France during the so-called “Yellow Vest” protests of 2018-19, when the head of state was frequently confronted by angry hecklers and protesters.
On Tuesday evening, a private trip by Macron to Saint-Denis, northeast of Paris, also saw around 300 demonstrators voice their anger at his pension changes.
“People will make themselves heard but that’s part of the moment,” an aide to the president told reporters on Wednesday, adding that there would be “expressions of anger most probably, support perhaps.”
The head of state was slapped in the face in 2021 by a 28-year-old unemployed mediaeval history enthusiast during a visit to a small town in southeastern France.
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