The streets of Paris were littered with trash on Thursday 14 March 2023, at the climax of a wave of nationwide strikes that lasted for over a month in opposition of the French government's pension reform bill. The bill had been met with significant resistance, and opinion polls suggested a majority of the public supported industrial action to oppose it, which included the demand to push back the official retirement age from 65 to 62. The bill would also drastically increase the deficit of the French Pension System to 10 billion euros annually, according to the Pensions Advisory Council.

Despite the outcry, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire directed the government to pass the measure by constitutional article 49.3, which does not require an outright majority in parliament. As a result, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne had to suspend the lower house session early and take the controversial decision which has resulted in massive outrage from both the far-right and far-left.