French Police Arrest 540 People in May Day Protest
- AP Photo/Lewis Joly.
VIVA – During the May Day protest in France on last Monday, a lot of demonstrants and police injured due to the incident. But now, at least 540 people were arrested, French Home Affairs Minister, Gerald Darmanin said on Tuesday.
"As many as 540 people were detained across France during protests, with 300 of the arrestees detained in the capital," France’s top cop told BFM TV.
He added that 406 police officers and gendarmes had suffered injuries. "The number of injured among protesters exceeded 60, with 32 demonstrators sustaining injuries during protests in Paris," the minister stated.
Jutaan warga Prancis melakukan protes di jalan-jalan menentang rencana perubahan masa pensiun di Paris, Prancis.
- AP Photo/Lewis Joly.
Demonstrations started in the morning in the cities of Nantes, Lyon, Marseille, and Strasbourg, while a large rally took place in the afternoon in Paris, according to a report by French daily Le Figaro.
Tensions got high between police and demonstrants in Paris, and police used tear gas and beat protesters in the capital and other cities, media reports said.
During the clashes, windows of some shops were smashed, street furniture was vandalized, and trash bins were set on fire, according to media reports. Meanwhile, labor unions on Tuesday announced another mass mobilization for June 6.
Furthermore, President Emmanuel Macron signed the pension reform into law on April 14 after the Constitutional Council completed its review, despite demands from labor unions to reverse the move that sparked weeks of protests.
The law will raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030, requiring at least 43 years of service to qualify for full retirement. The government unveiled the proposal in January and it was brought to parliamentary debate the following month even as millions took to the streets to oppose it.
Unrest escalated when Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, in consultation with Macron, decided to use special constitutional powers to adopt the draft law without parliamentary approval in March.
The decision was motivated by concerns that legislators would be able to block reforms as the government did not have an absolute majority in parliament. The law will come into force on September 1.
