The French take to the streets again to protest the pension reform devised by the Government of Emmanuel Macron, but this time far from the usual civic tone. Burning containers, police charges and destruction of urban furniture have been the protagonists this Saturday of protests such as those in Bordeaux and Paris called against the French Government, which they accuse of authoritarianism for having approved on Thursday the unpopular reform of pensions by Decree.
Faced with the government ban on demonstrating in the Place de la Concorde, in which the protests of the last two nights have resulted in hundreds of arrests and numerous damages, thousands of people moved to the Place d’Italie, in the south of Paris. .
There, union militants and left-wing parties mixed with protesters outside of any organization, evoking the “Yellow Vests” revolt of 2018.
Almost two hours after the start of the march, containers were burned and barricades erected, prompting sporadic charges by the police, who used tear gas in response to the launch of projectiles. So far, the authorities have not disclosed any balance, neither detainees nor injured.
Riots in other areas of the country
Meanwhile, several cities in the south of France also registered tense street mobilizations. In Bordeaux, rubbish bins were burned in a central city street, a fire quickly put out.
The wave of protest against the government of Emmanuel Macron will strengthen this Saturday practically throughout the country, even in small and medium-sized cities. The demonstrations were joined by partial stoppages in trains, refineries, the gas sector and garbage collection, among others.
