Thursday, between 1.089 million demonstrators (Interior) and 3.5 million (CGT) gathered in the streets to protest against the pension reform, the day after a television interview with Emmanuel Macron. Tensions, hitherto sporadic in major inter-union demonstrations but more regular in spontaneous rallies since last Thursday, have 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 to turn public opinion against the demonstrations”, castigated Fabien Roussel, this Saturday on RMC.
“The President of the Republic, right in his boots, provoked the French, aroused a lot of anger”, accused the communist leader, castigating the decision to resort to 49.3 to pass the reform, and a televised address “shifted, contemptuous , full of arrogance” on Wednesday. “Unfortunately it has aroused violent anger on the part of some. When there are 1,000 violent individuals out of 3.5 million demonstrators, well, we are talking about the degradations and the 1,000 individuals, ”lamented the deputy from the North.
“We went from pacifist demonstrations to broken faces,” lamented Fabien Roussel. “I am thinking as much of these demonstrators as of the police (…) The President is creating a climate of civil war”. The town hall of Bordeaux saw its door set on fire, “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. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reported 457 arrests and 441 injuries in the ranks of the police. A new day of protests is due to take place on Tuesday.