Some 300 people were arrested last night in several cities in France, especially in Paris, during protest demonstrations against the pension reform advocated by the head of state Emmanuel Macron.
According to the French police, 243 people were arrested in Paris and another 53 in other parts of France, during the protests that broke out in the country after Macron passed – by just nine votes – the motion of no confidence motivated by the controversial reform of the pensions.
In the capital, several hundred people gathered this Monday near the National Assembly during the debate on the motion of no confidence.
Despite the first police intervention, the protesters dispersed but remained in the streets of the capital.
Incidents occurred at the Place de l’Opera where large amounts of rubbish piled up in Paris caught fire due to the waste collection strike since early March.
At the same time, the Government, in an attempt to control the various demonstrations taking place throughout the country, has announced this morning that it will “force the workers to return to work” at the fuel depots in the port of Fos-sur- Mer, Marseille, where dozens of gas stations have run out of fuel due to lack of supply.
Sources from the Ministry of Energy Transition indicated that the decision was adopted to “deal with the worsening of fuel distribution” in the southeast of France.
Specifically, the measure requires the return of three workers per shift so that they can operate in the Fos-sur-Mer fuel depots, without interruption, for the next 48 hours.
The Fos-sur-Mer facility supplies the Provence region, Côte d’Azur and also Aquitaine, as well as ensuring the operation of the Lyon pipeline.
All the refineries in France are stopped or in the “process of suspension of activity” because of the strikes against the pension reform.
The Government fears that more gas stations will be affected -at the national level-.
Several sectors joined the strikes such as transport and waste collection in several cities, including Paris.
The strike by air traffic controllers forced several airlines to cancel 20% of the flights at Orly (Paris) and Marseille airports today and Wednesday.
French unions have called a new strike for next Thursday against the pension law that seeks to change the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 years.
Source: TSF
