France pension bill: Violence flares as protesters vent fury at Macron reform
Protesters clashed with French security forces on March 23 in the most serious violence yet of a three-month revolt against President Emmanuel Macron's hugely controversial pension reform. The uproar over the imposition of the reform -- which the government chose to push through without a parliamentary vote -- has turned into the biggest domestic crisis of Macron's second term in office.
AFP
March 24, 2023 / 11:20 AM IST
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Protesters clashed with French security forces on March 23 in the most serious violence yet of a three-month revolt against President Emmanuel Macron's hugely controversial pension reform. (Source: AFP)
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Almost 150 police were injured and scores of protesters arrested nationwide, the government said, as a day of protests descended into chaos in several cities including Paris, where protesters lit fires in the historic centre of the city. (Source: AFP)
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The uproar over the imposition of the reform -- which the government chose to push through without a parliamentary vote -- has turned into the biggest domestic crisis of Macron's second term in office. (Source: AFP)
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It also threatens to cast a shadow over King Charles III's visit to France next week, his first foreign state visit as British monarch. Unions have announced fresh strikes and protests for March 28, the second full day of his trip. (Source: AFP)
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In the southwestern city of Bordeaux, which King Charles is due to visit on March 28, the porch of the city hall was briefly set on fire. (Source: AFP)
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The numbers in Paris and other cities were higher than in previous protest days, given new momentum by Macron's refusal in a TV interview March 22 to back down on the reform. (Source: AFP)
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Police and protesters again clashed on the streets of the capital during a major demonstration, security forces firing tear gas and charging crowds with batons. Some protesters lit fires in the street, setting ablaze pallets and piles of uncollected rubbish, prompting firefighters to intervene, AFP correspondents said. (Source: AFP)
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Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that across France, 149 members of the security forces had been injured and at least 172 people arrested, including 72 in Paris. (Source: AFP)
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Around 140 fires were set alight in Paris, said Darmanin, blaming "thugs" for the violence, who had come to Paris "to have a go at the cops and public buildings". Some 1.089 million protesters took part in demonstrations across France, the interior ministry said, putting the Paris turnout at 119,000, the highest for the capital since the movement started in January. (Source: AFP)
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The nationwide figure still fell short of the 1.28 million people who marched on March 7, according to the government figures. Unions claimed a record 3.5 million people had protested across France, and 800,000 in the capital. (Source: AFP)
![Around 140 fires were set alight in Paris, said Darmanin, blaming "thugs" for the violence, who had come to Paris "to have a go at the cops and public buildings". Some 1.089 million protesters took part in demonstrations across France, the interior ministry said, putting the Paris turnout at 119,000, the highest for the capital since the movement started in January. (Source: AFP)](https://images.moneycontrol.com/static-mcnews/2023/03/3-france-pension-protest-march-23.jpg "Around 140 fires were set alight in Paris, said Darmanin, blaming "thugs" for the violence, who had come to Paris "to have a go at the cops and public buildings". Some 1.089 million protesters took part in demonstrations across France, the interior ministry said, putting the Paris turnout at 119,000, the highest for the capital since the movement started in January. (Source: AFP)")
