Today, as thousands of people demonstrated against pension reforms in the streets of France, violence broke out.
During a day of nationwide industrial action known as “Black Tuesday,” riot police engaged in ongoing combat with protesters in Paris.
While hundreds of riot police deployed tear gas and baton charges, the worst unrest occurred close to the Port Royal metro station. Bins were set on fire and bus stops were demolished by so-called Black Bloc anarchists as projectiles rained down on them.
Marseille, Nice, and other cities saw large crowds go to the streets, and violence was also reportedly reported in other significant cities like Lyon, Nantes, and Rennes.
11,000 police officers have been deployed nationwide, including 5000 in Paris alone
A Parisian police official stated ‘radical agitators’ had joined the crowds and accused them of ‘attacking police whenever they can. “A protest march is being heavily policed, and everything is being done to restore law and order,” he added.
The proposal by President Emmanuel Macron to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 in order to bring France more in line with many of its EU neighbors and the UK, where the state pension age is 66, has angered millions of people.
As a result, Macron is currently engaged in his most contentious standoff with France’s unions since taking office in 2017, and his most important plan is in jeopardy.
Today, the sixth day of statewide strikes since mid-January may beat the previous record-holder for the number of participants, which was more than 1.27 million on January 31.
According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, 11,000 police officers have been deployed nationwide, including 5000 in Paris alone.
In response to the government’s intentions to raise the pension age, French unions threatened the largest protests yet, with trains being stopped, fuel supply is stopped, and schools being closed. On Tuesday, strikes caused a number of companies and governmental agencies, including oil refineries, to close.
The transport industry is also on strike
The hard-Left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon, who finished third in the 2016 presidential race, was present at the Paris march.
All Left Wing parties should “unite, and stand up to the reforms,” he said.
With at least 260 protests anticipated around the nation and police estimating up to 1.4 million participants, authorities were preparing for the worst.
“The strike has begun everywhere… with deliveries blocked from all the refineries this morning,” said Eric Sellini, branch coordinator for national trade union body CGT.
In autumn, the group began a similar blockage, which eventually led to gas stations running out of fuel.
The transport industry is also on strike. According to reports made today, a fifth of flights at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and nearly a third of flights at Orly Airport were canceled.
The disruption has affected thousands of UK travelers, as numerous flights, trains, and ferries have been canceled or delayed.
The amendments are expected to take effect in September, but the administration is attempting to push them through as quickly as possible. It expects that the parliament will approve them by the end of March.
Also, the proposal would eliminate perks enjoyed by some public-sector workers, including those at the Paris Metro, and stiffen the standards for receiving a full pension.
Macron’s administration has now acknowledged the measure is aimed to boost savings after first insisting it was done to make the system more equitable.
