Rioters smash windows as thousands protest to defend right to strike
Polish reporter says France and Germany 'two faced' over Russia
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Nearly 300,000 people demonstrated in France on Tuesday for higher wages and to defend their right to strike, including more than 70,000 in the main march in Paris, the CGT (General Confederation of Labour) said. But according to the Interior Ministry, a total of 107,000 people demonstrated on Tuesday in France, including 13,000 in Paris, on the call of trade unions for higher wages and against the requisitioning of strikers in the refineries.
There were 15 arrests during the rallies, including 11 in Paris, the ministry added. Nine members of the police force were “slightly injured”, including eight in the capital, the ministry said, adding that “no demonstrators” had been injured.
There were more than 1,000 demonstrators in Strasbourg, 3,600 in Le Havre and 7,000 in Bordeaux.
Between 1,100 police and 1,300 union demonstrators responded to the call in Strasbourg.
One of them was Nadine, 45 years old, an employee in the metal industry, who thought it was “a pity to reach a blocking point to get things moving, but today if we don’t block anything, we won’t be heard”.
Marchers were heard chanting: “This can’t go on any longer, it’s going to explode”.
In Nantes, the CGT counted 4,000 participants. Toulouse, Bastia and Ajaccio were also mobilised. In Marseille, 2,200 people demonstrated according to the police, who counted 2,000 participants in Martigues.
About 200 people formed a “black bloc” that infiltrated the Paris march on Tuesday, October 18.
The authorities were expecting these irruptions.
If the Parisian demonstration for wages and the right to strike was generally calm and good-natured, it was also marred by incidents at the end of the afternoon.
About 200 people dressed in black, including about sixty from the ultra-left, “formed a block”, with the desire to fight, said a police source.
The windows of a CIC bank branch and a BMW motorbike dealership were smashed on Boulevard Montparnasse, and demonstrators dressed in black clashed with the police.
The police said in the early evening that the forces had made six arrests.
DON’T MISS:
School girl in ‘floods of tears’ after bus leaves her stranded 3 times [INSIGHT]
Meghan Markle hints at tension with royals [ANALYSIS]
Harry ‘flew into a rage’ after Queen denied Meghan’s wedding request [COMMENT]
According to the CGT, the Parisian demonstration, which left at around 2pm from the Place d’Italie and dispersed at around 5.30pm at Les Invalides, gathered 70,000 people.
The Ministry of the Interior counted 13,000.
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega
Source: Read Full Article