Demonstrators descended on the building that houses BlackRock’s office in Paris Thursday, taking their protest against the government’s pension reforms to the world’s biggest money manager.
Videos shared on social media showed protestors entering the Le Centorial office block, located near the Opéra Garnier opera house, holding red flares and firing smoke bombs. About 100 people, including representatives of several labor unions, were on the ground floor of the building for about 10 minutes, chanting anti-reform slogans. BlackRock’s office is located on the third floor.
“The meaning of this action is quite simple. We went to the headquarters of BlackRock to tell them: the money of workers, for our pensions, they are taking it,” Jerome Schmitt, spokesman for French union SUD, told CNN affiliate BFM-TV. BlackRock declined to comment.
Nationwide protests against the French government’s plan to raise the retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64 have now entered their 11th day. The government triggered special constitutional powers last month to push the controversial legislation through parliament without a vote.
At least 80 people were arrested and 123 police officers injured during protests on March 23, which saw demonstrators setting fires, launching smoke bombs and damaging property. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has played no part in the government’s pension reforms.
— This is a developing story and will be updated.
Read the full article here