On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of people participated in street rallies and strikes across France. This is amid concerns of violent altercations with police as protests over Emmanuel Macron’s use of executive authority granted by the constitution. To enact an unpopular pension age increase continue.
This is the largest domestic crisis of Macron’s second term in France. It is the movement against extending the retirement age from 62 to 64. On Tuesday, strikes are anticipated to impact refineries, garbage collections, rail transportation, air travel, and schools. Police and protestors may clash, according to authorities in Paris and other cities.
The problem has worsened as a result of debate about police methods. With lawyers accusing officers of making arbitrary arrests, causing injuries, and using excessive force to manage crowds.
All arrests, according to the Paris police chief, were lawful. However, Many police officers, according to interior minister Gérald Darmanin, were hurt during the protests. The Council of Europe declared on Friday that journalists and peaceful protestors needed to be shielded from police abuse and arbitrary detention.
Protests turned violent?
Over the past 10 days, more unplanned protest rallies have replaced the usual, peaceful trade union-organized strike days. The same had been taking place for the previous two months.
After dusk, there have been isolated instances of rioting in numerous cities and towns. The same include street fires being ignited and property also being vandalised. Since Macron decided to push through the pension changes without consulting the lower chamber of parliament, attacks on MPs’ district offices have intensified.
Strikes affecting public places:
Additionally, public structures have come under attack, such as the police station in Lorient and the city hall in Bordeaux. “Far-left” organisations were therefore blamed by the interior ministry.
Trade unions had already increased their strikes on Monday. Striking museum employees further prevented the opening of the Louvre in Paris. Pickets persisted at gasoline stations and waste incinerators, especially in the area of Paris, where 8,000 tonnes of trash are still accumulating in the streets of the entire city following weeks of bin strikes. In an effort to prevent fires from starting, Paris city council also announced that it will remove junk mounds from the street march’s path on Tuesday.
