A police station attacked in Lorient, a court stoned in Nantes, the portico of the Bordeaux town hall set on fire, destruction and looting in Paris… The tension increased this Thursday on the occasion of the 9th day of mobilization against pension reform.
These were the first strikes and demonstrations organized by call of the inter-union, since the government used article 49.3 of the Constitution, to approve its bill, without the vote of the deputies in the National Assembly. This decision, taken last Thursday by the Executive, caused a hardening of the movement.
“Destroy the State”
From now on, rallies take place every night in the country, with scenes of violence from police and black blocs. For the moment, the executive continues to denounce the excesses, without changing one iota of his position on the pension reform.
Gérald Darmanin was at the Paris police headquarters on Thursday. After the incidents in the capital, in particular towards the Opera Garnier during the night, the Minister of the Interior concentrated his attacks on the “thugs”.
Very active, he had touched some posters on Twitter during the day to deplore “unacceptable attacks and degradations against the sub-prefecture and the police station of Lorient”. In total, 457 people were arrested in France and 441 police officers and gendarmes were injured, Gérald Darmanin explained to CNews on Friday.
“Shutter Strategy”
In line with Gérald Darmanin, Élisabeth Borne recalled the government’s position. “Expressing and making disagreements heard is a right” but “the violence and degradation we have witnessed today is unacceptable.” And she will remember, as she has been doing for a few days, her “recognition of the mobilized police and rescue forces.”
“One would think that in a cynical calculation, the government hopes that the excesses will turn against the unions and the movement,” analyzes Matthieu Croissandeau, a political columnist for BFMTV. A “shit strategy”, in short.
Excesses that benefit no one
Far from easing tensions, the president has multiplied the salty outlets, evoking a “crowd” that “is not legitimate” in the face of “the people who express themselves through their elected officials”, or comparing the current violence with the seizure of Capitol in the United States in January 2021. In return, the slogans addressed to the head of state are increasingly numerous in the processions of the protesters.
For Matthieu Croissandeau, Thursday marks “an impotence” of the presidential field. While Emmanuel Macron boasted “of having republican order as a priority”, the police and gendarmes are “incapable of handling thugs”, he underlines.
However, these overflows do not benefit anyone. Especially not to the unions, which have so far managed to organize quiet mobilizations and can rely on the success of this Thursday for the future: between 1,089 and 3.5 million protesters hit the sidewalks in France, according to the respective counts of the police and police. power stations A new day of protests is scheduled for March 28.
The executive will have to “look for something else”
However, Laurent Berger sends a message.
TF1 guest, Jean-Luc Mélenchon lamented that “violent” forms of action “make invisible” the peaceful movement. Before qualifying with reference to the deferral of the legal retirement age:
Before Thursday, public opinion mostly supported the social movement. According to a poll by Elabe for BFMTV published this Wednesday, 65% of the French want the mobilization to continue and 44% even want it to get tougher. Unions can take advantage of the last day of action to move forward. For his part, the executive has its costs: the challenge is far from over.
“We will have to find something else. The government will not be able to continue acting like nothing for a long time and, above all, the longer it waits, the more difficult it will be,” concludes Matthieu Croissandeau.
Source: BFM TV
