Pension reform: some incidents in the Paris procession

Europe 1 with AFP 4:26 p.m., February 11, 2023

Incidents broke out on Saturday in Paris on the sidelines of the demonstration organized for the fourth day of mobilization against the pension reform, with in particular a car overturned on the road and set on fire, noted AFP journalists.

The scuffles began shortly before 3:30 p.m. when a group of radical elements tried to leave in a "wild procession" in the direction of rue de Charonne, thus deviating from the declared route between the places of the Republic and the Place de la Nation, reported the police Department.

>>

- Demonstrations: the CRS 8, the secret weapon of the Ministry of the Interior

After the intervention of the police, the clashes continued on Boulevard Voltaire, with fires from garbage cans and electric bicycles, glass containers overturned on the road and a car rolled onto its side and then set on fire, requiring the intervention of firefighters.

Projectiles were also thrown at the police who carried out several charges in return.

Attempts to damage

Previously, several attempts to damage the windows of banks, insurance companies and a fast food restaurant also required the intervention of the police.

At 4 p.m., the police headquarters had reported only one arrest, for carrying a weapon, at the start of the demonstration.

According to a police source, citing territorial intelligence, more than 2,000 "yellow vests" and 200 to 400 radicals were expected in the Paris procession. 

Since the beginning of the challenge to the pension reform, the Parisian demonstrations have taken place without major incident.