Labour day violence: As many as 108 police personnel were wounded and 291 people held across France as May Day (May 1) protests took a violent and ugly turn. Lakhs of people poured out on to the streets in France on Labour Day to vent their spleen against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform. They openly clashed with security forces across the country. The French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters that at least 108 police were wounded and 291 people detained across France as violence erupted at May Day protests.
According to French interior ministry sources, at least 782,000 people protested across France on Monday for May Day out of which some 112,000 protesters turned up in the capital Paris alone. Meanwhile, according to news agency reports, the CGT union said it counted 2.3 million protesters across France, including 550,000 in the capital.
Over 100 cops injured
It was further reported that protesters clashed with security personnel which has since left over 100 police officers injured and nearly 300 people were arrested across France after violence broke out in several cities.
Protesters in the capital city of Paris were seen throwing projectiles at police and breaking windows of business premises such as banks and estate agents while security forces responded by firing tear gas shells and using water cannons.
Black smoke billowed into the sky as protestors in Paris torched a bicycle docking station which went up in flames while cops were seen pushing back the crowd of onlookers.
Demonstrators throw Molotov cocktails
According to the interior minister, one officer was badly injured when he was hit by a projectile, as demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails and fireworks at the police.
In southern France’s Toulouse tensions erupted during demonstrations after which security forces deployed tear gas to disperse the protesters. Meanwhile, four cars were set on fire in the southeastern city of Lyon.
Furthermore, in the southern city of Marseille protesters briefly occupied the luxury InterContinental hotel where they reportedly broke a few flowerpots and damaged furniture.
It may be mentioned that France has been crippled by nationwide protests against president Macron who last month signed a law to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, despite months of strikes against the bill. “In many cities in France, this May Day was a moment for responsible mobilisation and commitment. The scenes of violence on the sidelines of the demonstrations are all the more unacceptable,” French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote on Twitter.
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