France: More than 300 people arrested for protests against pension reform

Security forces detained 310 people on Thursday in France in the protests that erupted after the government decided to adopt the unpopular pension reform without the vote of the deputies, the authorities indicated this Friday.

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“The opposition is legitimate, the demonstrations are legitimate, the disorder is not [lo es]”, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin assured on RTL radio, warning that the government will not allow the appearance of “spontaneous demonstrations”.

In Paris, the police intervened on Thursday night with charges, tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters gathered in the Place de la Concorde, located near the National Assembly (lower house), after the government’s decision.

The minister indicated that up to 10,000 people congregated there and 258 were arrested. In 24 other cities of France There were also demonstrations that brought together a total of 52,000 people, according to a police report.

A protester at a traffic light holds a sign reading ‘Macron at the service of Black Rock, Black block at the service of the people’ during a demonstration at Place de la Concorde after the French government pushed a pension reform through parliament without vote. using article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris on March 16, 2023. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) (THOMAS SAMSON /)

The cities of Rennes (west), Nantes (west) and Lyon (east) also registered incidents. A total of 54 police officers were injured.

The government’s decision to use the controversial article 49.3 of the Constitution to adopt the delay of the retirement age from 62 to 64 years without submitting it to the vote of the deputies, fearing losing the vote, fueled the protests on Thursday.

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On Friday morning, some 200 protesters blocked the ring road around Paris, which was very busy at the time, for half an hour, an AFP journalist noted.

The government is under pressure, awaiting the outcome of the motions of no confidence announced against the executive of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. The vote is expected at the beginning of next week and, if adopted, it would also knock down the reform.

The French media were unanimous on Friday in criticizing French President Emmanuel Macron for having used this controversial mechanism to adopt his project and which, in the opinion of the press, represents his “failure” and his “weakness”.

The use of 49.3 “not a failure”Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt told the RMC and BFMTV media. “Our vocation is to continue governing,” he abounded on the radio French Inter the government spokesman, Olivier Véran.

Source: Elcomercio