Tomorrow evening’s Coupe de France final is set to be the scene of several shows of protest against French president Emmanuel Macron’s recent reforms, which will bring the minimum retirement age up from 62 to 64.
Trade unions are planning to hand out red cards to fans of Nantes and Toulouse before the match, so as to have them brandished at the president when he takes to the field for the traditional pre-match greeting of the two sets of players.
Organisers have also made contingency plans should the event be hit with a targeted power strike, a tactic increasingly used in the country in the past few weeks. As well as the red cards, trade unions are also hoping to hand out whistles, to be used on the 49th minute – a reference to the government’s use of article 49.3 of the French constitution, through which, when triggered, opposition can only prevent a bill from going through via a vote of no confidence.
According to Le Parisien, via AFP, Macron will be at the match, but will not go down to the pitch. There is no indication for the time being as to whether he will present the trophy to the winning captain, as he has done since the start of his mandate in 2017.
3000 police officers – 50% more than at the Champions League final last year – will be deployed, while Le Parisien add that barriers will be placed in front of certain stands in order to avoid a pitch invasion.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
