French police arrest a protester in the capital, Paris
The British government announced the postponement of King Charles III’s visit to France at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The French presidency confirmed that the decision to postpone was taken jointly by London and Paris.
The Elysee Palace said that the request to postpone the visit of the king and queen consort came due to calls for demonstrations on Tuesday, the tenth day of protests.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanan announced the arrest of 457 people and the injury of 441 policemen, during the unrest that the country has been witnessing for several days, in protest against the pension reform law.
On Friday, Darmanan said 903 fires had broken out in rubbish bins and other facilities on the streets, as protests entered the ninth day through Thursday, according to AFP.
King Charles’s trip to Paris and Bordeaux was due to start on Sunday, but France witnessed some of the worst violence on Thursday since the demonstrations began in January.
Buckingham Palace commented that the postponement of the King’s visit was due to “the situation in France”.
“Their Majesties are very much looking forward to the opportunity to visit France at the earliest possible date,” the palace added in an official statement.
The British government said that the decision to postpone “was taken with the consent of all parties after the French President asked the British government to postpone the visit.”
The Elysee Palace referred to a call between President Macron and King Charles on Friday morning, adding that the state visit would be postponed as soon as possible, “until His Majesty is welcomed in conditions befitting our friendly relationship.”
hot night
France had a hot night on Thursday night, as Bordeaux city hall caught fire, as union protests continued over plans to raise the retirement age.
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More than a million people took to the streets across France on Thursday, including 119,000 in the capital, Paris, according to Interior Ministry figures.
Police responded by firing tear gas at protesters in the capital, and arresting dozens across the country.
The demonstrations spread to the oil sector. A spokesman for Total Energies said that 31 percent of workers in major French oil refineries and storage facilities went on strike on Friday morning.
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Paris witnessed clashes between police and masked men, who smashed shop windows and set fires in the streets
French Energy Minister Agnès Panier-Ronascher announced the resumption of fuel shipments from the company’s Gonfreville refinery in Normandy, on Friday morning, after the police intervened to disperse the workers who closed it.
Angry demonstrations erupted in the country over legislation raising the retirement age by two years to 64.
Trade unions have called for more protests next Tuesday, and Charles was due to visit Bordeaux, in the southwest of the country, which saw the front door of the town hall catch fire on Thursday evening, after a day of protests and clashes.
It was not clear who was responsible for the fire, but the firefighters were able to quickly put it out before it spread indoors.
The Home Secretary sought to assuage any concerns before King Charles’ postponed visit. He said Thursday night that security “is not a problem” and that the king “will be well received,” the minister was quoted as saying.
In Paris, generally peaceful demonstrations saw occasional clashes between police and masked rioters smashing shop windows, vandalizing street goods and attacking a McDonald’s restaurant, according to Reuters news agency.
A police officer who lost consciousness in the street was also rescued and taken to a safe place.
Reports said that police forces used tear gas after being pelted with fireworks by demonstrators, and arrested 33 people in the capital.
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The unrest disrupted trains and oil refineries
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne commented on the angry demonstrations and tweeted on Thursday: “Demonstrating and expressing refusal is a right. But the violence and inaction we witnessed today is unacceptable. All gratitude to the police and rescue forces.”
The unrest also disrupted train services, oil refineries and saw teachers and staff at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport stop working.
Popular tourist attractions in Paris were also closed on Thursday, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, where a gala dinner for King Charles and the French president was scheduled for next week.
In the northern city of Rouen, a young woman was seen lying on the ground after sustaining serious injuries to her hand. Witnesses said that she lost her thumb after being hit by a so-called “light ball” grenade fired by the police to disperse the demonstrators.
Other clashes took place in the western cities of Nantes, Rennes, and Lorient.
Unions and the political left spoke of the “success” of Thursday’s demonstrations, but there are still questions about the state of affairs in France.
The government hopes that the protests will lose momentum and that street violence will deter people from participating.
While the opposition says the protests will not abate, the unions will need to devise a strategy to continue, rather than promising more protests as happened Thursday.
The unrest followed the government’s decision to force legislation to raise the retirement age without a vote in the House of Representatives, where it lacks an absolute majority.
President Macron defended the move, saying reform was a necessity.
