175 police officers injured in protests against pension reforms in France

175 of the approximately 13,000 police and gendarmes deployed on Tuesday were injured, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wrote on Twitter on Wednesday night. According to a provisional balance, 201 people were arrested.

According to media reports, there were not only riots and property damage in Paris, but also in Nantes, Rennes, Lille, Bordeaux, Calais, Dijon, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Caen. Police used water cannon and tear gas in some places.

Hundreds of thousands protested Tuesday against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform. The Ministry of the Interior spoke of some 740,000 participants across the country. According to trade union CGT, more than two million people took part in the protest. The protests, which have been peaceful for weeks, have recently been overshadowed by mass violence and clashes.

The protests are directed against the gradual increase of the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. With the reform, the middle government wants to close an imminent gap in the pension fund. The dispute worsened as the government pushed through the text without a vote by the National Assembly.

A week ago, two no-confidence motions in the government failed. The reform has therefore succeeded. It will now be reviewed by the Constitutional Council. Macron wants the reform to take effect by the end of the year. Despite the ongoing protests, the government is not in sight. (sda/dpa)