The trade unions in France took to the streets this Monday hundreds of thousands of people on the occasion First of Mayin one new show of strength against the pension reformthe thirteenth since the beginning of January.
Union headquarters leaders who marched back together (which had not happened on May 1 since 2009) described as “historical” this mobilization, though some of the information prominence was once again capitalized by violent groups with numerous clashes that left 291 people arrested across France and 108 officers injured.
The General Confederation of Trade Unions (CGT) indicated that this was the case 2.3 million protesters across the country (550,000 in Paris), which it said was the second day with the highest turnout since the anti-pension reform movement began on March 19. Instead, the Interior Ministry counted 782,000 demonstrators across the country and 112,000 in the capital.
The majority of courtships passed without incident of the 300 who had organized all over the country there was various clashes in Nantes, Lyon, Toulouse or, above all, in Paris.
In the capital, along the entire route of demonstrations between Plaza de la República and Plaza de la Nación, constant skirmishes broke out between law enforcement and radical groups, who smashed shop windows and shop windows or financial institutions and set fire to containers and all kinds of street furniture.
The police replied with charges, tear gas and the use at the end of the march from Trucks with water cannons under pressure to disperse the rioters and also to put out a fire in the basement of a building in Plaza de la Nación.
One of his agents was seriously injured with burns caused by the impact of an incendiary cocktail. As of 5:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. GMT), authorities had recorded 291 prisoners across the country53 of them in Paris.
Clashes between police and protesters during a May Day demonstration. EFE
Police used drones to monitor the paradesa topic that has caused controversy in recent days and legal remedies have been used to avoid it, arguing that these devices would limit public liberties.
According to the prefecture (government delegation) of the Rhône department, the use of drones made it possible to arrest about thirty people who were causing incidents in Lyon.
A total of 12,000 police officers were deployed across the country by the Ministry of the Interior, 5,000 of them in Paris.
Riots steal spotlight from unions
Before the march began Paristhe general secretary of the French Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions (CFDT, the country’s first trade union), Laurent Berger, had his condemnation of “any form of violence against property and persons‘ while asking that that’s not the topic that’s drawing attention.
Leaders of the demonstration in Paris with the main union leaders. EFE
Because the main goal of the headquarters was to reaffirm their rejection of the pension reform that has been announced for more than two weeks, which will delay the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, which has held them together.
A unit that could begin to crumble once Berger has said he will attend the meeting he hopes Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne will launch in the coming days to discuss other issues, in a bid to government to turn the tide a crisis that has plunged him into worrying paralysis.
The secretary general of the CGT (CGT, the country’s second headquarters), Sophie Binet, while agreeing with Berger on the urgent need to tackle the upgrading of wages, which are losing purchasing power due to inflation, was less willing to commit to a To sit down and discuss with the Executive Parking the issue of pensions.
Try to relieve tension
Macron’s government has indicated that it plans to invite unions to talks “in the next few days” to ease tensions. That was indicated by Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt “We must listen to the messages that are being launched” and has advocated dialogue.
In this sense, he has assured that the police “does not take part in provocations during the demonstrations” and affirmed that the problem is not the agents, but “the possibility of violence”. “The problem isn’t the police, it’s the violent ones. I don’t confuse them with the protesters,” he clarified in statements collected by BFMTV.
However, they have been warned against it by the unions “There will be no movement until the reform is withdrawn“. “This May Day is a turning point, we must be there. It serves to put our aspirations on the political agenda: better wages, equality between men and women and better working conditions,” they stress.
The protests have continued throughout the weekend and have even resulted in iDisruptions and cuts in the country’s air travelwith about 30 percent of canceled flights.