French Pension Protesters Threaten to Cause Chaos During Cannes Film Festival

Pension protesters in France vowed to target the upcoming Cannes film festival, despite a ban on protests.
In a statement, the hard-left CGT union said it plans to “make its own movie moment in Cannes” this year, specifically calling on employees from the hotel industry to participate in a rally outside the newly-restored Carlton hotel just outside the festival grounds on May 19, The Telegraph reported.

The announcement comes just days after the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture said it was banning any demonstrations around “la Croisette”, a 2.5km promenade that includes the Palais des Festivals et Congrès, where the iconic film festival is hosted.

While the protests which have been announced are outside the ban’s perimeter, union organisers also suggested they were planning “surprise actions” over the course of the festival.