At least 108 police officers and gendarmes have been injured in France during May Day demonstrations. Of these, “around twenty” were hit in Paris alone. This was stated by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, adding that 291 people were arrested throughout the country, including 90 in the capital. Such a number of injured policemen “on May Day is extremely rare”, continued the interior minister, “strongly condemning this violence”.
Large firecrackers were thrown at the police by dozens of black-clad demonstrators leading the May Day march from Place de la République in pouring rain. Several businesses were damaged, including banking and real estate agencies, shops and street furniture.
“The prefect, given the damage, decided to intervene on the pre-procession to put an end to the incidents and separate the violent demonstrators from the union march,” the police said. The procession should reach Place de la Nation. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered en masse in France on Labor Day to vent their anger at President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, with unions vowing not to stop fighting even after the law was signed . Unions are hoping for a large turnout across France to further unnerve Macron, who was met with shouts and insults as he toured the country defending reforms and reviving his second term.
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