Pension reform: security assessment after a night of protests

William Molinié 07:33, March 21, 2023

The pension reform was definitively adopted on Monday night but protesters continue to express their discontent in several cities of France. In Paris, 171 people were arrested. Trash cans overturned and burned, barricades, projectile throws... Firefighters and police spent the evening trying to contain the excesses.

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The same scenes of burning barricades have been repeated since last Thursday. These spontaneous gatherings are coordinated from digital messaging, which complicates the intervention of the police, more projected in reaction than in a logic of anticipation. These late-night rallies bring together mostly young people from the ultra-left movement where some yellow vests harden. There are a few hundred, at most in the largest cities, but their capacity to destroy street furniture is important.

4,000 to 7,000 demonstrators expected on Wednesday afternoon

They act in clusters, they are very mobile. According to a report of the Parisian firefighters, consulted by Europe 1, the soldiers of the fire must extinguish about fifty fires in the capital. Territorial intelligence foresees new actions in Paris. Between 4,000 and 7,000 demonstrators are expected late Wednesday afternoon at the Place de la République.

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The crisis unit of the prefecture of police will again be armed around Laurent Nunez, the prefect of police, who systematically and personally follows the manoeuvre of maintaining order.