PARIS, Mar 17 At a spontaneous rally against 73 people were arrested for pension reform in the center of Paris, Figaro reports, citing a police source.
Police squads are chasing several hundred protesters who dispersed through the streets in the heart of the French capital after the police dispersed the protesters at the Place de la Concorde. They walk along fashionable streets in the 1st quarter of the city — such as Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, where, in particular, the residence of the French president — the Elysee Palace is located.
According to the media, aggressive protesters overturn garbage bins piled up on the streets in large numbers due to the strike of garbage collectors. Tourists flee from them in panic.
As the correspondent reported, people began to gather in the afternoon in front of the building of the National Assembly in Paris. After Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne announced the adoption of the law with the help of Article 49.3 of the constitution without the approval of deputies, thousands of people began to gather in the Place de la Concorde. Toward evening, protesters clashed with the police at the rally, tear gas was used. Later, the police used water cannons to disperse the demonstration. Late in the evening, protesters are still erecting barricades and setting fires, several cars are on fire.
On Thursday, rallies were held in almost all major French cities. The CFDT trade union is scheduled for a new general manifestation on March 23 against the law on raising the retirement age.
Adopted on Thursday, the reform involves raising the retirement age in the country and the abolition of «special» regimes for a number of difficult professions. The authorities will start raising the retirement age by three months a year from September 1, 2023. Thus, by 2030 he will reach 64 years instead of the current 62.