FRANCE: Protesters armed with flares in tense standoff with French riot police below the headquarters of President Nicolas Sarkozy's party in Paris, as youths and police continue to clash in Lyon

Record ID: 1519681

  • Title: FRANCE: Protesters armed with flares in tense standoff with French riot police below the headquarters of President Nicolas Sarkozy's party in Paris, as youths and police continue to clash in Lyon
  • Date: 22nd October 2010
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2010) (REUTERS) RIOT POLICE STANDING IN FRONT OF HEADQUARTERS OF PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY UMP PARTY VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WITH FLARES IN FRONT OF POLICE POLICE OFFICERS TALKING TO EACH OTHER POLICE OFFICERS STANDING IN FRONT OF PROTESTERS WITH FLARES PROTESTERS WITH FLARES POLICE OFFICERS IN FRONT OF PROTESTERS WITH FLARES PROTESTER WITH FLARE FLAGS OF THE UMP HEADQUARTERS PROTESTERS MARCHING ALONG STREET VARIOUS OF POLICE STANDING IN LINE OUTSIDE SENATE PROTESTER SHOUTING INTO LOUDSPEAKER PROTESTERS CHANTING PROTESTERS GATHERED IN FRONT OF SENATE VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS BANGING DRUMS (SOUNDBITE) (French) PROTESTER, NAME UNKNOWN, SAYING: "When the senators say behave well, we are in the streets. We are in the streets with them. We need them and they also need us. We fought beforehand and we are going to fight again. And if they need us we are going to fight to keep their retirement age at 60 years old." VARIOUS OF FLAGS FOR THE CGT UNION PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER POLICE OFFICER PROTESTERS GATHERED IN FRONT OF SENATE LYON FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2010) (REUTERS) POLICE AND TEAR GAS IN THE STREET VARIOUS OF POLICE REMOVING PROTESTERS FROM TEAR GAS POLICE WITH SHIELDS PROTESTERS GATHERED ON GRASS IN FRONT OF POLICE HELICOPTER PROTESTERS GATHERED
  • Embargoed: 6th November 2010 17:29
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA99USGJJKZMCFMJM7TNOMIIQZZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Protesters armed with flares in tense standoff with French riot police below the headquarters of President Nicolas Sarkozy's party in Paris, as youths and police continue to clash in Lyon.
    Protesters with flares gathered outside the headquarters of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's party, the UMP, in central Paris on Thursday (October 21) as part of nationwide protests against his government's planned pension reform.
    Police in riot gear stood in lines in front of the protesters to keep them from getting closer to the building as they continued to let off bright red flares.
    In the wealthy city of Lyon, clashes between youths and riot police, which began last week on the fringes of anti-pension protests, continued on Thursday. Police used tear gas in the city centre where large groups of youths had gathered.
    Sarkozy called the clashes "scandalous" and said rioters would be punished.
    A final Senate vote on President Nicolas Sarkozy's unpopular bill is set to be speeded up to make sure it happens on Friday (October 22), a parliamentary source told Reuters, following pressure from the government as protests and fuel blockades drag on.
    Sarkozy, a conservative who is determined to face down unions and force through an increase in the retirement age, is battling 10-day-old refinery strikes and fuel depot blockades that have dried up a quarter of the nation's petrol pumps.
    His popularity at an all-time low 18 months before a presidential election, Sarkozy is fighting deep public opposition to a reform he says is the only way to stem a ballooning pension shortfall as the population ages.
    The president wants the bill to raise the minimum retirement age by two years to 62 and the maximum age for a full pension to 67 from 65, passed by the end of the month.
    Protesters from the powerful CGT Union also gathered in front of the Senate building in Paris to show their annoyance at the government's plans.
    The action looks unlikely to end soon with Unions on Thursday calling for further "massive" strike action next week.
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