BILL NEELY EXPLAINS WHAT THE PROTESTERS ARE PROTESTING AND

PROTESTERS ARE PROTESTING AND WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR FRANCE.

WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR FRANCE. >> Reporter: HI.

>> Reporter: HI. EVEN IN A COUNTRY KNOWN FOR MASS

EVEN IN A COUNTRY KNOWN FOR MASS PROTESTS AND NATIONAL STRIKES,

PROTESTS AND NATIONAL STRIKES, THIS WAS A PRETTY EXCEPTIONAL

THIS WAS A PRETTY EXCEPTIONAL AND DISRUPTIVE DAY RIGHT ACROSS

AND DISRUPTIVE DAY RIGHT ACROSS FRANCE.

FRANCE. PEOPLE BROKE AWAY FROM A

PEOPLE BROKE AWAY FROM A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION AND BEGAN

PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION AND BEGAN FIRING AT POLICE.

FIRING AT POLICE. THERE WERE STUN GRENADES AND

THERE WERE STUN GRENADES AND STUN GUNS.

STUN GUNS. THIS WAS TRUE OF HALF A DOZEN OF

THIS WAS TRUE OF HALF A DOZEN OF 40 CITIES WHERE THERE WERE

40 CITIES WHERE THERE WERE DEMONSTRATIONS TODAY, ALMOST A

DEMONSTRATIONS TODAY, ALMOST A MILLION PEOPLE COMING OUT TO

MILLION PEOPLE COMING OUT TO MARCH.

MARCH. THEY WERE MARCHING IN PROTEST OF

THEY WERE MARCHING IN PROTEST OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE AN UNPOPULAR

WHAT SEEMS TO BE AN UNPOPULAR REFORM.

REFORM. PENSION REFORM WAS TRIED 25

PENSION REFORM WAS TRIED 25 YEARS AGO AND FAILED AND CHIRAC

YEARS AGO AND FAILED AND CHIRAC HAD TO PULL BACK THAT REFORM.

HAD TO PULL BACK THAT REFORM. NOW, PRESIDENT MACRON WANTS

NOW, PRESIDENT MACRON WANTS PENSION REFORM.

PENSION REFORM. TODAY, THERE WERE LAWYERS AND

TODAY, THERE WERE LAWYERS AND DOCTORS JOINING GARBAGE

DOCTORS JOINING GARBAGE COLLECTORS, EVEN OPERA SINGERS,

COLLECTORS, EVEN OPERA SINGERS, PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS SAY THESE

PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS SAY THESE REFORMS MEAN THEY HAVE TO WORK

REFORMS MEAN THEY HAVE TO WORK LONGER AND THEIR MONEY WILL BE

LONGER AND THEIR MONEY WILL BE CUT.

CUT. FRANCE HAS ONE OF THE MOST

FRANCE HAS ONE OF THE MOST GENEROUS PENSIONS AND

GENEROUS PENSIONS AND RETIREMENTS IN THE WORLD.

RETIREMENTS IN THE WORLD. SOME METRO TRAIN DRIVERS CAN

SOME METRO TRAIN DRIVERS CAN RETIRE AT 52.

RETIRE AT 52. THEY DON'T LIKE ANY CHANGE TO

THEY DON'T LIKE ANY CHANGE TO THEIR SYSTEM.

THEIR SYSTEM. MOST PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE

MOST PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE SYSTEM AT ALL BECAUSE THEY SAY

SYSTEM AT ALL BECAUSE THEY SAY IT FAVORS PEOPLE LIKE DOCTORS

IT FAVORS PEOPLE LIKE DOCTORS AND LAWYERS AND GIVES THEM A

AND LAWYERS AND GIVES THEM A VERY VERY GENEROUS, EVEN LAVISH

VERY VERY GENEROUS, EVEN LAVISH SYSTEM.

SYSTEM. A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT THE SYSTEM

A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT THE SYSTEM CHANGED, THEY JUST DON'T TRUSTEE

CHANGED, THEY JUST DON'T TRUSTEE MANUAL MACRON, A FORMER

MANUAL MACRON, A FORMER INVESTMENT BANKER TO DO IT FOR

INVESTMENT BANKER TO DO IT FOR THEM.

THEM. TRUST EMMANUEL MACRON.

TRUST EMMANUEL MACRON. THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WAS

THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WAS BADLY HIT.

BADLY HIT. THE EIFFEL TOWER BEHIND ME WAS

THE EIFFEL TOWER BEHIND ME WAS CLOSED.

CLOSED. SCHOOLS WERE HIT AND CLOSED.

SCHOOLS WERE HIT AND CLOSED. THEY'RE CALLING THIS" BLACK

THEY'RE CALLING THIS" BLACK THURSDAY."

THURSDAY." IT WON'T BE TODAY BECAUSE HARD

IT WON'T BE TODAY BECAUSE HARD LINE UNIONS ARE THREATENING A

LINE UNIONS ARE THREATENING A WINTER OF DISCONTENT.

WINTER OF DISCONTENT. THEY SAY THEY WILL CRIPPLE THE

THEY SAY THEY WILL CRIPPLE THE ECONOMY IF PRESIDENT MACRON

ECONOMY IF PRESIDENT MACRON CONTINUES.

CONTINUES. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT LABOR

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT LABOR REFORM.

REFORM. THIS IS A POLITICAL BATTLE, A

THIS IS A POLITICAL BATTLE, A TEST OF WILLS.

TEST OF WILLS. PRESIDENT MACRON, RIGHT IN THE

PRESIDENT MACRON, RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF HIS PRESIDENCY,

BEGINNING OF HIS PRESIDENCY, WANTED TO REFORM THE FRENCH

WANTED TO REFORM THE FRENCH ECONOMY FOR THE 21st CENTURY.

ECONOMY FOR THE 21st CENTURY. HE WANTS TO MAKE FRANCE GLOBALLY

HE WANTS TO MAKE FRANCE GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE AND HE SEES THE

COMPETITIVE AND HE SEES THE PENSION SYSTEM AS ONE OF THE

PENSION SYSTEM AS ONE OF THE THINGS HOLDING FRANCE BACK.

THINGS HOLDING FRANCE BACK. IT'S A POLITICAL BATTLE.

IT'S A POLITICAL BATTLE. ONE MINISTER TODAY TOLD THE

ONE MINISTER TODAY TOLD THE NEWSPAPER IF MACRON DOES NOT WIN

NEWSPAPER IF MACRON DOES NOT WIN THIS, THEN HIS PRESIDENCY WILL

THIS, THEN HIS PRESIDENCY WILL BE FINISHED AND HE WILL BE A

BE FINISHED AND HE WILL BE A LAME DUCK PRESIDENT FOR THE NEXT

LAME DUCK PRESIDENT FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

TWO YEARS. THE STAKES ARE HIGH.

THE STAKES ARE HIGH. MORE PROTESTS PLANNED TOMORROW.