In France, 13,000 officers have been deployed due to the day of protest against pension plans. This is the highest number since the start of the demonstrations, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said. Around 5,500 agents are active in Paris.
A “very serious risk to public order” is being considered. According to the minister, the authorities have recently noticed a trend towards more violence against the state. The Paris police chief told France Inter radio station that police are vigilant because people intending to use violence are likely to turn up at the protests.
Mostly peaceful
In France, demonstrations against the pension reform have been underway since mid-January. Since the government pushed ahead with plans on March 16, bypassing parliament, protests have taken place on a daily basis and often get out of hand, especially in Paris. But of the millions of French people who have protested in recent months, the majority have done so peacefully.
Tuesday is the tenth day of national action against pension plans, which calls for raising the retirement age and the minimum number of working years for a full pension. Unions have called strikes. The president of the largest union says the violence is a distraction from what he calls a “formidable and extraordinarily peaceful mobilization”.
Police criticism
In addition to protesters and rioters, the police have also received strong criticism. The agents are accused by, among others, human rights organizations of excessive force and arbitrary arrests. There are seventeen investigations into the agents’ actions.
Source: BNR
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