In the aftermath of a new day of mobilization marked by renewed violence, the boss of the CFDT Laurent Berger called, to "calm things", the head of state to put "pause" for six months the flagship project of his second five-year term.

From Brussels, where he was attending a European Council, Emmanuel Macron did not accede to this request.

"For the rest and the pension reform, it is before the Constitutional Council and it is obvious that we will wait for the decision of the Constitutional Council," in less than a month, he said.

The unions had asked, on March 8, to be received urgently by Emmanuel Macron, who had then opposed them an end of non-receiving. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne then sent them back to Labour Minister Olivier Dussopt.

-"Common sense" for Charles III-

Emmanuel Macron also had to justify himself on the postponement of the state visit of Charles III, scheduled from Sunday to Wednesday.

"Common sense and friendship lead us to propose a postponement." "We would not be serious and we would lack a certain common sense," to "offer a visit in the middle of the demonstrations," he said.

Charles III was expected in Bordeaux, scene of incidents Thursday, where the porch of the city hall was set on fire.

The door of Bordeaux City Hall after being set on fire by protesters opposed to the pension reform, March 23, 2023 © PHILIPPE LOPEZ / AFP

Political leaders immediately seized on this postponement, starting with opponents of the pension reform.

"The meeting of kings in Versailles dispersed by popular censorship," said the leader of La France insoumise Jean-Luc Mélenchon, referring to the state dinner that was planned at the castle of the kings of France.

Same tone on the right: "what an image for our country not to be even able to ensure the security of a head of state," responded the boss of the Republicans (LR), Eric Ciotti.

This state visit, for which 4,000 police and gendarmes were to be mobilized, raised growing questions, reinforced by the renewed tensions on Thursday.

"Everyone must call for calm," said the president (Renaissance) of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet.

Entering its third month, the protest in the street gathered Thursday between 1.089 million people (Interior) and 3.5 million (CGT).

The demonstrators expressed their anger at the 49.3 used by the government to pass the reform and the intervention of the President of the Republic on Wednesday.

High schools were again blocked Friday morning, like the Condorcet establishment in Paris. The high school unions Fidl and the Voix lycéenne are calling for a mobilization from Monday until the end of the week.

The violence, which had so far been only sporadic, made a spectacular entrance on Thursday.

Door of the town hall of Bordeaux burned, "scenes of chaos" denounced by the mayor of Rennes, water cannons in Lille and Toulouse, demonstrator with a thumb torn off in Rouen, police station targeted in Lorient (Morbihan)... Violence "unacceptable", said Elisabeth Borne.

457 arrests

In Paris, violence erupted at the head of the demonstration with its share of broken windows and destroyed street furniture, and incidents continued late into the evening in the wake of wild processions, in reverse of a parade where the vast majority of demonstrators marched peacefully.

A protester throws an object at the police during a mobilization against the pension reform, March 23, 2023 in Toulouse © Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin reported Friday 457 arrests, and 441 wounded in the ranks of the police.

Mr. Darmanin also reported eleven judicial investigations entrusted to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), while many officials or observers evoke a hardening of the maintenance of order.

"We have a deeply political crisis, which requires a political response and we bring a police response," denounced on BFMTV the deputy LFI François Ruffin.

For Marine Le Pen (RN), "Emmanuel Macron can no longer govern alone, he must now return to the people."

The energy sector (gas, oil, electricity) remains particularly mobilized but the supply of fuels to the Paris basin by the large refinery of TotalEnergies of Gonfreville-L'Orcher in Normandy resumed Friday after an intervention of the police

Western and southern France hit by fuel © shortages Valentin RAKOVSKY / AFP

And the anti-basin mobilizations in the Deux-Sèvres this weekend promise to be a big challenge for the executive.

grd-lby-chl-bpa/sde/gvy

© 2023 AFP