France: a very political May Day punctuated by violence in Paris
A week after Emmanuel Macron's victory in the presidential election, the demonstrators are focusing on the legislative elections.
Paris, 1st 2022. AP - Lewis Joly
Text by: RFI Follow
4 mins
Several tens of thousands of demonstrators marched this Sunday in France on the occasion of May 1, in a very political context, a week after the presidential election.
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In Paris, the demonstration started at the beginning of the afternoon from the Place de la République towards the Place de la Nation, at the call of the inter-union CGT-Unsa-FSU-Solidaires, joined by the student and high school organizations Unef, VL, MNL and FIDL.
Rising wages, maintaining public services and social protection, and an ecological transition policy were the main demands.
The pension reform was also one of the points of tension of this "
a little exceptional
" day this year, because it comes a week after the
re-election of Emmanuel Macron
, underlined Philippe Martinez.
The secretary general of the CGT is planning a new mobilization as soon as “
before the start of the school year, because the level of dissatisfaction with pensions or salaries is very high
”.
"
We are resolutely opposed (...) to any form of raising the retirement age
", hammered for his part the secretary general of FO, Yves Veyrier.
►
To listen also: Pensions: "As Macron seeks to provoke the French, the mobilizations count"
Legislation in sight
This 1st of May also has a particular meaning for the left, in the context of difficult negotiations to reach an agreement for the legislative elections of next June.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon spoke on a platform as the Parisian procession moved off, urging an agreement "
tonight
".
The leader of La France insoumise and the first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure later shook hands before engaging in a brief conversation to the cries of “Popular Union!
" in the crowd.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon was later spotted in a brasserie chatting with Sandrine Rousseau, finalist in the Europe Écologie-Les Verts primary.
"
The third round will be social and ecological, in the ballot box and in the street
", proclaims Rémi, in reference to these legislative elections.
Others, like Adriano, came to express his opposition to the newly re-elected president.
"
It's symbolic, the day after an election, to be many in the street
," he says.
A very political May Day - report from Paris
Reportage
Pauline Gléize
On the sidelines of the demonstration, incessant clashes opposed the police to young people dressed in black, with throwing projectiles and tear gas canisters.
Along Boulevard Voltaire, many shop windows were destroyed, including that of a McDonald's restaurant and several banks.
"
Unacceptable violence
"
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin denounced "
unacceptable violence
" and reported eight injuries among the police.
The Paris prosecutor's office indicated, according to an initial report, that 50 people had been placed in police custody, following the violence in the capital.
Among those arrested is a woman suspected of having jostled a firefighter who was putting out a fire, and of having struck him with her hand twice on the helmet.
The firefighter was not injured.
A trash can is on fire in a street in Paris on May 1.
© Bertrand Haeckler
Elsewhere in France, demonstrations gathered 1,900 people in Bordeaux, 3,600 in Marseille, 3,500 in Toulouse, 4,000 in Lyon, 1,500 in Strasbourg or Saint-Etienne, 2,000 in Lille, according to police figures.
In total, the Ministry of the Interior counted 278 rallies and 116,500 demonstrators in the country, including 24,000 in Paris.
The CGT claimed at the end of the day "more than 210,000 demonstrators" throughout France.
In Rennes, the demonstration organized in the morning and which brought together 1,650 people according to the prefecture, took place in peace, but several hundred ultra-left activists played cat and mouse for two hours with the police, who used tear gas and a water cannon.
Garbage fires were observed.
Damage was also reported in Nantes, where the police intervened to disperse ultra-left activists, according to the prefecture.
In Marseille, where more than 3,600 people – 15,000 according to the organizers – marched this morning, the question of the pension reform wanted by Emmanuel Macron was at the heart of the concerns.
"
In addition to the deterioration of working conditions in the National Education, I think I will reach the age of 65 on my knees
", announces Magalie, a teacher in a vocational school.
For many demonstrators, the next battle against this reform will be at the ballot box during the legislative elections.
Pensions at the heart of concerns - report in Marseille
Reportage
Yoram Melloul
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