Peace returns in Paris after protesters clashed with police over pension bill

Record ID: 1717537

  • Title: Peace returns in Paris after protesters clashed with police over pension bill
  • Date: 28th March 2023
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 28, 2023) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) PROTESTERS WALKING PAST RUBBISH BIN ON FIRE / BIN EXPLODING ANTI-RIOT POLICE CORDON POLICEMAN WEARING HELMET PROTESTERS DANCING CONGA LINE, CHANTING (French): "A conga line against the (pension) reform" POLICEMAN HOLDING ANTI-RIOT WEAPON KNOWN AS 'FLASH-BALL' GUN DELIVERY MAN WAITING BEFORE POLICE CORDON POLICEMAN MAN DANCING BEFORE POLICE CORDON
  • Embargoed: 11th April 2023 21:35
  • Keywords: Borne Clash Confrontation Demonstration France French Government Legislation March Nation Square Night Pension Police President Emmanuel Macron Rally Riot Strike Violence pension bill protest teargas
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001103528032023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Peace returned to the streets of the French capital Paris on Tuesday (March 28) following a day of confrontations between protesters and police on the fringes of a march against President Emmanuel Macron and his deeply unpopular pension bill.
    Clashes also erupted at similar rallies in other cities including Rennes, Bordeaux and Toulouse, with a bank branch and cars set ablaze in Nantes.
    However, while public frustration has evolved into broader anti-Macron sentiment, there was less violence than last week and rallies were otherwise largely peaceful.
    Earlier in the day, the government rejected unions' demand to suspend and rethink the pension bill, which raises retirement age by two years to 64, infuriating labour leaders who said the government must find a way out of the crisis.
    The government said it was more than willing to talk to unions, but on other topics, and repeated it would stand firm on pensions. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has offered to meet unions on Monday and Tuesday next week.
    Millions of people have been demonstrating and joining strike action since mid-January to show their opposition to the bill.
    Unions said the next nationwide day of protests would be on April 6.
    The protests have intensified since the government used special powers to push the bill through parliament without a vote.
    The Interior Ministry said 740,000 people had protested across the country on Tuesday, well below the record 1.09 million seen at the March 23 rally.
    The numbers in Paris were also below last week's record but higher or equal to earlier demonstrations since January.
    (Production: Anthony Paone, Marco Trujillo, Clement Rossignol)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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