The Socialist government was cautioned that the upcoming European football tournament in France could face disruptions if they did not reconsider their stance. Demonstrators filled the streets while workers heeded the union's call by halting work at various facilities and setting up roadblocks and fires at ports and distribution centers. Prime Minister Manuel Valls maintained that the government would not retract the law and would dismantle refinery blockades, with potential adjustments to the reforms but not the main elements. The CFDT union supported Valls' stance. The protests, triggered by a reform aimed at simplifying hiring and firing processes, were seen as a crucial test of the strength of the CGT-led opposition. Scores of participants from a youth protest movement called Nuit Debout (Night Rising) joined the street marches. In response to potential violence at the rallies, police were deployed after previous incidents left hundreds injured and over 1,300 arrested. CGT leader Philippe Martinez suggested that the government could halt the protests by pausing the clock. FO union leader Jean-Claude Mailly compared the situation to a football match, urging the prime minister to reverse his decision. Despite calls for changes to the law causing unrest, Prime Minister Valls remained firm in his stance, rejecting demands to remove the controversial section that sparked the protests. The SNCF national train company reported that around two-thirds of national, regional, and local rail services were running despite ongoing strikes by rail workers. Compared to last week's strike, which resulted in a 50% reduction in train services, the impact of the current strike seems to be less severe. Following police action to remove blockades at refineries and fuel distribution centers, Prime Minister Valls stated that 20-30% of fuel stations were experiencing shortages. Transport Minister Alain Vidalies mentioned that the situation was improving, with fuel deliveries from depots to gas stations increasing. In the Loire-Atlantique region of western France, the number of fuel stations experiencing shortages dropped from 140 on Wednesday to 83 on Thursday. The French nuclear power capacity has been reduced by up to five gigawatts due to stoppages, which represents slightly over six percent of the country's total production capacity. Despite power industry experts claiming that the strike at the nuclear plant is not likely to cause major blackouts because of legal restrictions on strike actions and power imports from other countries, it typically results in higher running costs for the EDF power utility. Additionally, with dockers on strike at the southern port of Marseille, the number of ships waiting at sea to unload oil, gas, and chemicals increased to 21 from the usual five, as reported by the port authority. A protest regarding pension reform in 2010 ended after police dispersed picketers at supply depots and railworkers faced stoppages affecting their pay. Oil company Total SA stated that almost all of its fuel distribution depots were operational, but noted that two out of its five refineries in France were currently not in operation with two more expected to stop production soon. The CGT union is facing a more solitary fight this time around, as the head of the CFDT union, Laurent Berger, who supports the proposed labor reform, expressed concerns about the escalating political and industrial tensions and called for a de-escalation of the situation.