Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in France today, on May Day, to protest again against the reform of the pension system, which was carried out by the government of President Emmanuel Macron.

Demonstrations took place this morning in many large and smaller cities. Labor unions had organized more than 300 rallies.

Across the country, authorities expected between 500,000 and 650,000 protesters. 100,000 demonstrators were expected in Paris alone.

The facade of the Louis Vuitton Foundation and the famous Place Vendôme in Paris were covered in paint this morning, announced the ecological organizations Extinction Rebellion and Dernière rénovation, which claimed responsibility for these two separate actions, while during the events for the workers’ May Day, there were violent incidents with clashes between protesters and police, molotov cocktails and tear gas.

Clashes took place in many cities, but especially in Paris, while for the first time the police used drones to record the protesters on video.

In a video posted on Twitter by journalist Clément Lano, a group of activists can be seen throwing orange and pink paint at the institution, which was closed today.

The action was carried out at around 9:30 (local time) by “about thirty” activists and lasted “around ten minutes”, a representative of the organization explained to AFP.

Extinction Rebellion seeks through this action to target the luxury goods group LVMH, which it accuses of tax avoidance.

“In today’s social context, where the French are cutting a meal a day due to inflation, the health of large groups is challenging,” the spokesman said.

“The wage and social demands of the unions have our full support,” added the representative, referring to the May Day inter-union march that was due to start at 14:00 (local time, 15:00 Greek time) from Democracy Square.

The Louis Vuitton Foundation, located in the forest of Boulogne, is one of the busiest museums in Paris and is currently presenting the exhibition “Basquiat x Warhol, à quatre mains”.

A few kilometers away, Paris’ famous Place Vendôme was also targeted by the organization Dernière rénovation.

The “six citizens” who participated in the action were “arrested”, a representative of the movement told AFP.

At around noon, they threw orange paint on the facade and in the courtyard of the Ministry of Justice, the organization explained in a statement.

In the same square, known around the world for its luxury jewelry shops, the facade of the Ritz Hotel was also targeted, on which the activists also threw paint.

“This action signals the urgent need to stand up to unite climate justice with social justice,” the organization said in a statement.

“By protecting the super-rich, the main emitters of greenhouse gases, our government is destabilizing the poorest among us,” she complained, also attacking “the unjust pension reform,” “a climate-killing law.”

“By pushing the workforce to work two years longer, (the government) supports an economy of productivism and pollution, which depletes natural resources and destabilizes ecosystems,” the organization added in its statement.

Macron’s centrist government considers the pension reform, which raised the retirement age to 64 from 62, to be over. However, unions and some members of the opposition have not given up the fight and want to block the implementation of the bill on September 1.

Strikes continued during the three-day holiday in France and caused air traffic problems.

Police had prepared for riots, but by midday the situation was mostly calm.

Drones were to be used for the first time in Paris and other major cities to monitor protests.

Unions had expressed hope that more than 1 million people would demonstrate in French cities today.

In recent years, May Day demonstrations in France have drawn between 100,000 and 160,000 people.

“This year’s May Day will be a landmark,” said Sophie Binet, head of the hardline CGT union. “It will be useful to say that we will not proceed if this reform is not withdrawn.”

Laurent Berger, head of the reformist CFDT union, said Macron’s government was turning a deaf ear to the demands of a movement that was one of its strongest in decades. However, he added yesterday, Sunday, that this does not mean that the talks with the government are over.

The question now is whether the May Day protests will be the last major rallies against pension reform. The number of protesters is dwindling and, according to the German Agency, there are also signs of a split in the union’s common front.

Source: Skai.gr, APE-MPE