In French cities, thousands of people protested once again — they demand the resignation of the government of Elizabeth Born and President Emmanuel Macron.
The cause of discontent was the adoption of an unpopular pension reform bypassing the vote in parliament and the failure of votes of no confidence in the government.
Protests took place in Paris, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Lyon, Rennes, Toulouse and dozens of other cities. Some participants of the demonstrations set fire to trash cans and beat billboards.
In the town of Abbeville, protesters broke into the city hall building, and in Brest, the police had to form a border to protect the office of one of the deputies.
The most serious clashes between security forces and protesters took place in the capital.
Le Figaro reports at least 243 detainees in Paris alone.
Trade unions, meanwhile, are calling on the French to hold regular mass demonstrations from March 23 onwards.
- A bill to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 was debated in parliament for six weeks before it became clear that President Macron could not muster enough votes. This forced the government to invoke a constitutional provision known as Article 49.3, which allows legislation to be passed without a vote.
- Macron has made pension reform a top priority of his second term, arguing it is important to avoid a deficit that has been exacerbated by the energy crisis and the cost of the coronavirus. Government plans to raise the retirement age caused mass protests and strikes.