thousands of French They have taken over the streets of Paris and the main provincial capitals on Monday night, after the government won the motion of censure for the pension reform in the National Assembly by just 9 votes. There are at least 142 detainees in the French capital, after serious clashes between police and protesters in unauthorized marches.
Garbage cans burn between the Opera building and rue de Rivoli, in the most touristy area of Paris. The protesters play “cat and mouse” with the security forces, who repress with water trucks and tear gas. Firefighters intervene to put out the fires in the city.
In the midst of enormous tension, with the police repressing with gas and displacing motorcycles with two policemen each in Paris, the crowd advances from Place Vauban, in the VII district, towards the Louvre museum and the Opera Garnier.” Macron resignation “the protesters shout.
Garbage bonfires left by the garbage collectors in the streets of Paris give the city a gruesome image on this spring night. The Blacks Blocs are in the streets, with their faces covered and dressed in black. There are death threats to deputies who voted against the motion of no confidence and ask the security forces for protection.
extended anger
The popular tension worries the country and its leaders. They call President Macron to make a “gesture” to resume the dialogue, when the violence and the social explosion spread in the country on Monday night.
Parisian restaurants empty out of fear of demonstrations, gases, not being able to return home and burning cars. “Last night I passed through the Porte de Italie and it was the war, when I was coming home. That’s why there isn’t a busy table tonight. We are going to close now”, admitted the maitre d’ of the Bistrot de Dome, in Montparnasse.
There are fires in the neighborhoods of the St Lazare station, rue de Rennes, the Opera and Odeon neighborhood, in the heart of St Germain. The protesters call for a “general strike” and for the resignation of Emmanuel Macron. There are demonstrations in Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, Strasbourg and the suburbs of Paris.
The moderate union leader of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, warned tonight that “we are in the process of creating the biggest social crisis in the last ten years and the biggest political crisis in 30 years. They are going to impose a Retiree Reform Rejected by the majority of opinion,” he warned.
“It’s going to cause deep resentment,” said Social Democrat Berger, who called on the president to “withdraw the reform.” If the president does not withdraw it, it will be enforced and will provoke deep resentment and anger in the world of work. It’s very dangerous”he warned.
Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne said she was “immediately taking the reform to the Constitutional Council. But while she won, she was politically defeated on the motion.
willing to continue
Without speaking to the French, President Emmanuel Macron believes that it is necessary to continue with the reform that will allow the others. Tomorrow he will have breakfast with the president of the National Assembly and with the president of the Senate. On Tuesday night he will meet with the parliamentarians of the majority in the Elysee Palace.
Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne is meeting tonight with the majority groups at the Matignon Palace.
But France plunges this Monday into an unknown political moment, with its society in a state of rebellion in the name of social democracy.
Sandra Ousseau of EELV NUPES believes that “the country has entered a crisis of the end of the regime and that we plunge into an unknown political moment.”
“He was the president of the rich. He now he is the president of chaos ”. This is how Sophie Binet, member of the CGT’s confederal executive commission, defined it tonight.
“The only solution is the withdrawal of the pension reforms. It is necessary that the government of Emmanuel Macron understand this message of wisdom,” he said.
The parliamentary motion of no confidence against the government of Marine Le Pen did not prosper. It only obtained 94 votes. But now the leader of the former National Front calls for “Macron to present a new government to the French. The crisis will not be resolved if he does not.”
Jean Luc Melénchon, ideologue of Nupes, called for “popular censorship in all places and circumstances.” For him, we must resist in the streets until they withdraw the reform.
Conservative Republicans did not obey the suggestions. At least 19 deputies voted for the motion of no confidence in the government. The surprise came when Dino Cinier, a lieutenant of boss Eric Ciotti, voted for the motion.
The president of the National Assembly transmitted today to the Constitutional Council the request for a referendum on the reforms. A demand from the communists, which must be supported by 4,870,000 million voters, who must support the motion in the next 9 months.
PB