Protests erupt across France as anger over pension reform grows

Protests erupted across France on Monday night after the French prime minister and her government survived two votes of no-confidence following a move to push pension reform through parliament without a vote in the Assemblée Nationale.

The first vote, brought by the centrist Liot coalition, managed to garner 278 votes, just nine short of the necessary 287 MPs needed to topple the government. The second vote, brought by the far-right, National Rally party, was overwhelmingly rejected.

READ MORE: Calendar: The latest French pension strike dates to remember

Following the votes, clashes between police and protesters took place in several French cities.

French police arrested 287 people throughout France throughout Monday night, 234 of which were in the capital, according to Le Parisien.

In Paris, a procession of a few hundred people met at the behest of opposition leaders near the Place Vauban after the results of the votes were announced. As police led protesters away, smaller groups scattered, with some lighting fires to garbage cans and damaging billboards, namely near the Saint-Lazare train station.

🚨🇫🇷ALERTE INFO - Les manifestants sont en direction de la Place de la #Bastille en brulant tout sur leur passage. pic.twitter.com/VpaDeTmo4Z

— AlertesInfos (@AlertesInfos) March 20, 2023

More clashes between police and protesters occurred near the Bastille area later in the evening and continued until after midnight with fires being lit throughout nearby streets. Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters with several officers reported injured.

Several videos circulated on social media, leading political leaders and others to call into question law enforcement's use of force.

Soirée de tensions à Paris. Les policiers repoussent violemment des journalistes.#ReformedesRetraite pic.twitter.com/6H52ntB4UB

— Amar Taoualit (@TaoualitAmar) March 20, 2023

Member of the left-wing France Unbowed party, Antoine Léaument shared a video on Twitter on Monday of people being hit by batons near Chatelet. The lawmaker denounced the video calling President Emmanuel Macron "the shame of Europe" and judging the images "worthy of the worst authoritarian regimes".

Des images dignes des pires régimes autoritaires.

Macron, la honte de l’Europe. pic.twitter.com/C4e83QIfYy

— Antoine Léaument 🇫🇷 (@ALeaument) March 21, 2023

Other French cities, such as Lille, Dijon, Rennes, Nantes and Strasbourg, experienced similarly tense scenes.

In Strasbourg, large crowds were recorded and some protesters reportedly smashed the windows of a department store, according to AFP correspondents.

🇨🇵 The streets of literally all French cities are filled with protesters

On the video of the streets of Strasbourg now pic.twitter.com/8GVihsu9Xq

— marina alikantes (@Marianna9110) March 20, 2023

Opposition leaders also spoke out after the two votes of no-confidence failed. Leader of the France Unbowed party (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon called for a "people's demonstration" of no-confidence in the government.

Mélenchon said during a press briefing on Monday that he hoped the "people's censure of the government would be expressed across the country, in all places and in all circumstances, and that this will allow us to have the bill withdrawn".

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said on Tuesday that he would appear on the TF1 television channel at 1pm on Wednesday to answer questions from journalists and broadcasters, after having largely remained silent on the pension changes in the weeks leading up to the stormy parliament session where it was pushed through last week.

Union leaders have also called for another day of mobilisation Thursday, March 23rd. You can find more information about upcoming strike action in France HERE.