PARIS: Violent clashes broke out across France as May Day protests took place, with demonstrators expressing their anger over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms. According to the Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, at least 108 police officers were injured, and 291 people were detained in the protests.
Darmanin described the high number of police injuries as “extremely rare” for a May 1 protest day. He also stated that one policeman was hit by a Molotov cocktail, suffering burns to the face and hands, but his life was not in danger.
Protests took Place across France on Monday, as hundreds of thousands of people rallied on May Day to express their anger at President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform.
Unions were hoping for a vast turnout to further rattle Macron, who has faced protests and jeers as he toured the country to defend the reforms.
Macron signed a law last month to raise the retirement age to 64 years, despite months of strikes against the pension bill.
In Paris, radical protesters broke windows of businesses such as banks and estate agents and threw projectiles at police, with security forces responding with tear gas and water cannon.
One policeman was hit by a Molotov cocktail and suffered severe burns to the hand and face, while 46 people have been arrested in the capital alone. Police also used tear gas in Toulouse, and four cars were set ablaze in the Lyon city.
Large number of people participated in France demonstrations
The CGT union said around 550,000 people had turned out in Paris for the protest demonstrations and 2.3 million across France, while government estimates are expected to be far lower.
This marked the first time since 2009 that all eight main unions of France have joined in calling for protests.
Macron and his government have made efforts to turn the page on months of popular discontent, intending to relaunch his second term after the reform was signed into law. However, the determination to win is still intact, according to CGT chief Sophie Binet.
“Even if the vast majority of protest demonstrators were peaceful, in Paris, Nantes and Lyon in particular, the police faced extremely violent thugs who came with one objective: to attack the property of others and kill cops,” said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Twitter.
France has been rocked by several days of countrywide strikes and protests against Emmanuel Macron and his pension reforms since mid-January, some of which have turned violent.
Almost three in four French citizens were unhappy with Macron, according to a survey by the IFOP polling group last month.
In the Place de la Republique, where the protest march began in Paris, a huge vest with the slogan “Emmanuel Macron resign” was fixed to the giant statue symbolising the Republic of France at its centre.
May Day demonstrations on a less fractious and smaller scale were held across Europe, including Spain, where flag-waving marchers joined over 70 rallies under the slogan: “Lower prices, raise wages and share profits”.
The protests, which took place in several cities across France, saw police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. The clashes reportedly involved groups of anarchists and anti-capitalist protesters who set fire to cars, bins, and other objects in the streets.
May Day protests have been a tradition in France for more than a century, with workers’ rights and labor issues being the main focus. However, in recent years, the demonstrations have become more violent, with clashes between police and protesters becoming commonplace.
The Macron government’s pension reforms, which have been met with opposition from labor unions and left-wing groups, have been a point of contention in recent years. The proposed changes would simplify the existing system, but critics argue that they would force workers to work longer and receive lower pensions.
The violence in France’s May Day protests highlights the ongoing tensions between the government and its critics, as well as the challenges of balancing workers’ rights with the need for economic reform.
