Countless looting, violence and fires were observed throughout France on Thursday, on the sidelines of demonstrations against the pension reform, which brought together between 1.08 million and 3.5 million protesters, according to the Ministry of Interior and the CGT. “This Thursday saw a tipping point in violence“, confided a police source to the Figaro. More than 457 individuals were arrested, and 441 police officers injured.
A thug returns a tear gas grenade towards the police, in Paris, on March 23, 2023. NACHO DOCE / REUTERS
In Paris, the clashes started in the middle of the afternoon, a few hours after the start of the rally. The thugs quickly seceded at the head of the peaceful procession, pushed by the police who wanted to isolate them. Windows were smashed, including those of a McDonald’s restaurant and a Burger King. Facades of bank branches were also targeted, tags were painted on shops. The CRS and mobile gendarmes responded by using tear gas and making defensive leaps and charges. It was during these maneuvers that a police officer was seen collapsing, then evacuated by his colleagues in the field, who dragged him to the ground. The images have gone viral on social media.
A garbage fire in Paris on March 23, 2023. ANNA KURTH / AFP
The violence then reached a new level at the end of the afternoon, when the “black bloc” reached the place of arrival of the procession, place de l’Opéra. The violence continued into the evening, first in the small streets of the 9th arrondissement district. Trash fires were started, and flames licked apartment buildings.
In the west of France, the violence and clashes between the police and demonstrators have also gone upmarket compared to previous mobilizations, in particular in Rouen, Nantes, Lorient, Rennes, Bordeaux and Toulouse. Violence also occurred in Lyon. In Lille, the processions swept without particular violence.
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