French Police Use Tear Gas And Water Cannon To Protest Pensions, Arrest 217 In Paris | outside

Not only in Paris, but across the country, people took to the streets again yesterday to express their dissatisfaction with government pension plans. They erected barricades and set them on fire. In Paris, riot police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons at the Place de la Concorde, where thousands of protesters gathered. In the evening, the agents carried out charges to push back and disperse the demonstrators.

Place de la Concorde is located near the French Parliament, where Prime Minister Elisabeth Bourne announced Thursday afternoon that he would use a constitutional article to advance pension reforms. Thus, Parliament is marginalized. Critics consider the relevant article, which has been used a hundred times in French history, to be undemocratic.

French media reported unrest in several cities, including Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Dijon. In Lille, two protesters were hospitalized with injuries. in Rennes bus shelters and had to be paid for by an estate agency. There were also reports of clashes between police and activists in Nantes.

Since January, demonstrations have been held in France against retirement plans, which include raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. National workdays, including public transport strikes, have attracted millions of participants.