"The president of the Republic, right in his boots, provoked the French, aroused a lot of anger," accused the communist leader, questioned on RMC, castigating the decision to use 49.3 to pass the reform, and a televised speech "offbeat, contemptuous, full of morgue" Wednesday.
"Unfortunately it provoked violent anger from some. When there are 1,000 violent individuals out of 3.5 million demonstrators and well we are talking about degradation and 1,000 individuals, "regretted the deputy of the North.
The protest in the street gathered Thursday between 1.089 million demonstrators (Interior) and 3.5 million (CGT). The violence, relatively sporadic in previous marches, has escalated.
"I wonder if this is not what the President of the Republic is looking for, to do everything to radicalize the movement, to arouse so much anger that it overflows (...) and turn public opinion against the demonstrations," Roussel said.
"We went from peaceful demonstrations to broken mouths," lamented Mr. Roussel. "I think as much of these demonstrators as of the police (...) The President is creating a climate of civil war."
The city hall of Bordeaux saw its door burned, "scenes of chaos" were denounced by the mayor of Rennes, a demonstrator had a thumb torn off in Rouen, a police station was targeted in Lorient.
An activist of the railway union Sud-Rail was also seriously injured in the eye in Paris, said Friday his union. A delegate later told AFP that the railway worker had lost the use of his eye. The union denounced Saturday "the use of grenade of encirclement".
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reported 457 arrests, and 441 wounded in the ranks of the police.
A new day of protests is due to take place on Tuesday.
© 2023 AFP