Arson and street fighting. Revolt against Macron’s reform

The French are outraged that the government is raising the retirement age and doing so without a parliamentary vote.

In France, the second week saw no let-up in mass protests. The previous day, rallies were held across the country. The French took to the streets to show their opposition to President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Unions say 3.5 million people took part in protests on March 23, while the authorities have suggested that this number is lower, just under 1.1 million.

Rallies in France have been accompanied by vandalism, arson and clashes with police. In total, more than 170 people are in jail across the country, 72 of them in Paris.

Law without a vote

Macron calls his bill absolutely necessary. According to him, without these changes, the French pension system will not remain afloat due to the aging population.

The corresponding document was proposed for consideration in January, and last week the French president approved it without a vote of parliament, exacerbating the crisis. On Monday, the government passed a vote of no confidence in parliament by just seven votes.

Pension reform was one of Macron’s main campaign promises. It provided for a gradual increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 years, as well as an increase to 43 years of the minimum period during which contributions must be paid to qualify for a full pension. At the same time, as provided by the reform, the amount of the minimum pension should be increased to 1200 euros per month.

Trade unions call Macron’s proposal “unfair and rigid” and call for a referendum on the subject. More than two-thirds of French strongly disapprove of the reform, according to public opinion polls.

Vandalism in Paris

The most violent protests are taking place in the French capital. Here, demonstrators set fire to piles of garbage that had accumulated in the city’s historic center, and also blocked train stations, Charles de Gaulle airport, oil refineries and ports.

Street fighting also broke out in the city between police and black-masked groups. Earlier, these people attacked at least two fast food restaurants, a supermarket and a bank.
Law enforcement officers, armed with Molotov cocktails and firecrackers, attacked several times and used tear gas to disperse the protesters.

Burning of the City Hall in Bordeaux

In the city of Bordeaux, during the pension protests, unknown people set fire to the city hall building. The fire was quickly brought under control. Firefighters immediately extinguished the fire.

Damage appears to be limited to the front door and part of the building. According to the prefecture, the fire was deliberately set, and the possible perpetrators are not yet known.

The mayor of the city, Pierre Yurmik, arrived on the scene with the prefect of the Gironde, Etienne Guiot. They noticed the damage. One person was arrested for the incident.

What next?

Similar demonstrations were held in other French cities. In Nantes, in the west of the country, police also fired tear gas as demonstrators began throwing stones at police and setting garbage cans on fire.

In nearby Rennie, police used water cannons, and in Nice, protesters blocked the airport building.

According to the head of the French Interior Ministry, more than 150 law enforcement officers were injured as a result of clashes with demonstrators. Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne called the violence and damage to buildings unacceptable.

But the situation in France seems to be getting worse. Because Macron has refused to back down from his position that the new law is needed to finance the pension treasury. Opponents have proposed other solutions, including higher taxes on the rich or companies, but these, Macron said, would hurt the economy. He insisted that the government’s bill to raise the retirement age will be implemented before the end of the year.

news Correspondent.net on Telegram. Subscribe to our channel Athletistic