“300 to 500”. This is the number of masked individuals present in Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes) after the passage of the procession of the demonstration against the pension reform on Tuesday, and who attacked the police.
The Ardennes prefecture denounced “serious violence” on the sidelines of the rally which brought together 4,000 people deploring the throwing of projectiles at the police, including “bottles of acid”, “stretched mortar fire, and announcing 18 arrests.
“On the sidelines of the movement, serious violence was perpetrated against the police who suffered a large number of projectiles”, in particular “stones, steel balls, or bolts”, details the prefecture in a press release.
Damage during the 9th day of mobilization
“The forces of order were subjected to tense mortar fire and bottles of acid were used by the troublemakers”, without causing any injuries, she continues. “Nine fires were started.”
Contacted, the prefecture was unable to indicate what type of acid had been used. She specified that the violence had been committed by approximately “300 to 500 individuals”, in particular after the dispersal of the procession near the town hall.
In this city of some 46,500 inhabitants, the authorities had already deplored last Thursday “violence against the police”, and “damage” in particular against the building of the prefecture. However, she praised the “responsibility of union officials” and the majority of the demonstrators.
The prefecture had banned all gatherings in certain streets surrounding its building, following the damage committed on Thursday. A new day of mobilization should take place on April 6.