Wiliam Molinié, edited by Loane Nader 14:34 p.m., March 17, 2023

Gérald Darmanin sent a letter to the prefect of police of Paris as well as to the directors of the police and the national gendarmerie, to ensure the protection of the permanence and the homes of parliamentarians, in response to the anger expressed by the demonstrators against the pension reform and the choice of the use of 49.3.

In view of the violence generated by the demonstrations against the pension reform on Thursday, the Minister of the Interior hastened to write to the prefect of police of Paris, as well as to the directors of the national police and the national gendarmerie. Faced with a recurrence of clashes in protest against the use of 49.3, Gérald Darmanin asked the heads of the police to ensure the security and protection of the permanence and homes of parliamentarians and in particular those of the majority.

Public order was also addressed by the police minister in his message, in which he gives his approval to the smooth running of the demonstrations, but grants zero tolerance "zadisation", according to a source close to the ministry. Instructions have therefore been given with particular vigilance to be attributed to the days of the bac next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The police will also have to be very attentive to power cuts, refineries, oil depots and major roads, to avoid possible blockages.

>> READ ALSO – Pensions: with the 49.3, the intelligence expects a radicalization of the protest

Towards a radicalization of the movement

And for good reason, this Friday morning, the actions were numerous throughout the Hexagon with a blockage of the ring roads of Paris, Rennes, Caen, Lille and Toulouse. The construction site of Olympic swimming pools in Saint-Denis and the rectorate of Rouen have also seen an arrival of activists opposed to the pension reform. The intelligence services of the territory therefore expect a radicalization of the protest movement, like the 258 arrests that occurred Thursday on the sidelines of the demonstrations in the capital.

According to a police report, 50 garbage fires, eight vehicle fires, including a construction truck, were extinguished near the Place de la Concorde. In Rennes too, sustained violence against the police occurred before 14 individuals were arrested. CRS 8, specialized in policing and urban violence, was sent to the scene.