Protests erupted in the evening for the fifth straight day since Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the activation of Article 49.3 on Thursday, following the defeat of the opposition’s two motions of no confidence in the National Assembly, the last parliamentary means to halt the initiative. of the Constitution to approve the reform without a vote in the Assembly.
According to the Interior Ministry, of the 300 or so arrests, 240 occurred in this capital, the epicenter of national discontent over a text raising the statutory retirement age from 62 to 64, lengthening the contribution period and abolishing special retirement arrangements.
Government officials have accused some demonstrators of assaulting police and causing unrest, property destruction and fires, while political leaders and trade unionists have criticized law enforcement’s violence against those peacefully mobilized.
The President of La France Insoumisa (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, condemned the violent and arbitrary arrest of dozens of peaceful people the day before, including Emma Fourreau and Laurent Abrahams, activists of the political movement, and called for the release of those imprisoned
The general secretary of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (CGT), Philippe Martinez, also condemned “the severe police repression” and described it as unjustified.
For his part, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reiterated that the protests are legitimate, “but the disorder and violence are not”.
Since January 19, unions have taken millions of French people to the streets to oppose the reform in eight national demonstrations and strikes, with the ninth scheduled for Thursday.
According to union leaders, the government has been warned of the consequences of unpopular pension reform and “violent enforcement” using Article 49(3).
In this sense, Martinez himself warned that fueled anger could lead to a radicalization of the protests and unacceptable situations.
President Emmanuel Macron said he would address the country tomorrow, but various executive branch spokesmen have in recent hours ruled out withdrawing from the reform, which the ruling party has defended with the alleged urgency of using redistribution to stem the financial deficit in the pension system .
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