May Day Marches 2019: Over 210,000 Gathered, Historic Move Against Pension Reform

“Over 210,000” people gathered this Wednesday, according to the CGT to take part in the traditional May Day marches, while the Ministry of the Interior mentions 121,000 demonstrators. There were 13 police officers and gendarmes “slight injury” in Paris, according to the Paris police chief.

This movement of a “very good grade” according to the head of the union Sophie Binet, who puts things in perspective compared to the 2.3 million demonstrators last year. it was “Historic move against pension reform”so must “comparison with like”. This year, there were many reasons to move: for salaries, for peace or even for Europe.more protection“.

The CGT called for more than 265 rallies and demonstrations. But unlike last year when the eight main French unions (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires, FSU) marched together against the pension reform, this year there was no interprofessional national slogan. In Paris, however, the CFDT and Unsa marched with the CGT, FSU and Solidaires.

Illnesses in Paris, Toulouse, Lyon or Nantes

In Paris, where 18,000 demonstrators marched according to the prefecture, the march left from Place de la République. All in all, 45 people were arrested with the police, on the sidelines of the demonstration, they pointed to the police headquarters. There were thirteen police officers and gendarmes “slight injury” in Paris, celebrating Paris police chief Laurent Nunez at a press conference. In detail, nine mobile gendarmes and four police officers were injured.

The police chief commented “Up to 600 Radical Elements”, present in the procession. The material damage was limited mainly to a burnt vehicle and a damaged McDonald’s restaurant, he said. Several small groups of people dressed in black and wearing masks also attacked banks, and their windows were damaged.

THERE ARE Lyon, 22 people were arrested. They were arrested for violence against the police, throwing projectiles and one for taking down the tricolor flag from the tourist office. Between 6,500 people according to the prefecture and 13,000 according to the CGT marched this Wednesday.

THERE ARE Toulouse, between 3,000 (according to the police) and 8,000 people (according to the unions) marched on Wednesday morning. Just before midday, the CGT security service was charged by police at the head of the march, “Then the CRS went to the sides and cut off the display at the CFDT truck”entrusted to Cédric Caubère, general secretary of the CGT Haute-Garonne in France Bleu Occitanie. “The street went away and unfortunately the thugs had a field day”. According to him, there were injuries among the demonstrators. A police source also reports that police officers have been injured.

THERE ARE Nantes, violence broke out in the city center, with businesses damaged and tear gas fired. Around midday, demonstrators claiming to be from the “antifa” movement, wearing black clothes and helmets, began attacking windows, including a bank, a Carrefour supermarket and even a clothing store. The police responded by using tear gas.

Raphaël Glucksmann was transferred to Saint-Etienne

As the European elections on June 9 approach, several main candidates took part in the marches. In Saint-Etienne, Raphael Glucksmann (PS-Public Square). targeted with jets of paint from (pro-Palestine) protesters and had to leave the show quickly.

The leader of the list complains “about fifty crazy people” some of which belong to LFI according to him. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal condemned this violences. “Politics can sometimes be a fight in the noble sense of the term, but it must always be done with respect for people’s integrity”he announced on the sidelines of a trip to Beaugency (LOIRET).

The leader of La France includes Jean-Luc Mélenchon, with whom Raphaël Glucksmann has several disagreements, on Ukraine, the defense of Europe and China, as well “completely disagree”: “Everyone who wants to show solidarity with the workers’ struggle for their rights on May 1st has a place. Just leave them if they are unhappy with us”argued X, lamenting that this action gives “many media against May 1st and victim role for Glucksmann who will take the opportunity to accuse us.”

Against hardship, for jobs, wages and peace

The CGT, FSU, and Solidaires, as well as youth groups including Unef, Fage and MNL (National High School Movement), have launched a joint appeal specifically “against tension“, for employment and wages, or even peace.”We are going to move for wages and deny the social destruction that is being led by the government and the employers who want to attack unemployment insurance in particular.“, CGT number one Sophie Binet said on RMC on Wednesday.

The first French union, the CFDT, asked for its part “join the marches organized across France, to demand a more ambitious and protective Europe for workersHer n ° 1 Marylise Léon was in Nancy, where she participated in a debate on the issues of the European elections. On France Inter on Wednesday, she rejected any abandonment of the unity model, celebrating the Parisian unity march. it is not a national interprofessional calling,”it is because we wanted Europe to be there. That was not necessarily the choice of other union groups“, she said.

A May Day Parade near you

In Marseille, at least 3,000 demonstrators gathered, the city’s police headquarters said. A similar movement in Strasbourg where 3,000 people showed up. Nearly a thousand people marched through the streets of the Clermont-Ferrandaccording to CGT figures.

In Besancon, there were about 2,400, with a strong presence of the France Palestine Solidarité society. More than 500 people marched Amiens.

In Tours (Indre-et-Loire), between 500 and 700 people were present in the parade, according to France Bleu Touraine. “A hundred thousand people” march in Grenoble, celebrating France Bleu Isère. There were about 400 people in Orléans (Loiret).

In Nantes, violence broke out in the city center, with businesses damaged and tear gas fired. Around midday, demonstrators claiming to be from the “antifa” movement, wearing black clothes and helmets, began attacking windows, including a bank, a Carrefour supermarket and even a clothing store. Police responded by using tear gas according to the same source.