The pension protests in France have so far injured 1,093 police, gendarmes and aid workers, said French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. At the same time, 38 investigations into excessive force by the law enforcement are ongoing.
Since March 16, 2,579 arson attacks and 316 damage to public buildings have also been recorded, the minister reports in an interview with Sunday newspaper (JDD).
Demonstrations against the pension reforms have been going on since mid-January. Since the government of President Emmanuel Macron pushed through the plans on March 16 without a vote in parliament, protests have been taking place daily and regularly spiraling out of control, especially in Paris. The unions have announced a new national strike day for Thursday 6 April.
In addition to demonstrators and rioters, the police also received strong criticism. Agents are accused by human rights organizations, among others, of excessive force and arbitrary arrests during the demonstrations in recent months.
There are 38 investigations into the actions of agents and gendarmes, Darmanin reports in the JDD. Still, he continues to support law enforcement in his own words: “If it turns violent and rioters and the ultra-left get involved, then it is the duty of law enforcement officers to say stop.”
