142 arrests at protest against pension reform in Paris

Eleven police officers were injured on Tuesday evening, broadcaster BFMTV reports based on police sources. Some demonstrators are said to have set fire to garbage cans, among other things. About 2,000 police officers were on duty in Paris alone. According to Franceinfo, there were also spontaneous demonstrations in other cities such as Saint-Étienne, Strasbourg, Amiens, Caen and Toulouse.

The reform to gradually raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 was passed on Monday evening after the opposition rejected two no-confidence motions. It is considered one of the most important projects of President Emmanuel Macron. In France, there have been repeated strikes and violent protests against the reform for weeks.

The retirement age in France is currently 62 years. In fact, retirement starts later on average: those who have not paid in long enough to receive a full pension continue to work longer. At age 67, there will then be a pension with no deductions, no matter how long it has collapsed – the government wants to keep this even if the number of years of collapse for a full pension increases more rapidly. She wants to increase the monthly minimum pension to around 1,200 euros. (sda/dpa)