Paris devolved into scenes of chaotic violence today as police armed with
tear gas and water cannons marched on the thousands of protesters rallying against
Emmanuel Macron. Here are the most striking images form the violent
protests.
French President Emmanuel Macron lit the fuse in Paris earlier today after announcing a host of new economic reforms.
Tens of thousands of students, teachers, nurses and public sector workers took to the streets to voice their discontent.
Between 140 and 180 demonstrations broke out across the country today before scenes of peaceful protest escalated into brutal clashes with the police.
In the capital, masked and hooded protesters were photographed pelting armoured police officers with makeshift projectiles.
Police responded by battering the protestors with blasts from water cannons and treating them to choking tear gas.
The protests today publicly denounced Mr Macron cutting back on retirement benefits, while overhauling unemployment insurance and going after indebted state-controlled rail operator SNCF.
Many of those on the streets were heard chanting: “Together, let’s derail Macron.”
A 65-year-old pensioner and former SNCF worker caught in today’s rallies said: “We’re here against the Government, which is only helping the rich.
“What this Government is doing is simply not OK.”
Services up and down the country were shut down today by workers heading out into the streets to protest the President’s reforms.
Didier Samba, a commuter who missed his daily train to Paris today, described the scenes a “real mess”.
According to French unionists, at least one in four schools were on strike today.
The Paris protests were expected to culminate tonight at the Bastille monument where unionists said as many as 25,000 people will rally.
The protests have been described “a warning shot” against the Government.
A young Parisian was pictured today with a sign reading “Macron killed Me” and the word “Me” written across his bare chest.
Elsewhere protesters aided the chaos and confusion by setting of flares or cordoning off streets with makeshift barricades.
Local reports suggest the greater Paris region of Île-de-
France suffered the worst with severe disruptions to train services.
Violent clashes also broke out in the western city of Nantes.
Further chaos across France is expected as unionist exert more pressure on the Macron government to back down.
The protests are likely to have an impact on hospitals, school and airports.
Around 30 percent of flights were cancelled at Orly, Charles de Gaulle and Beauvais airports forcing airline Ryanair to intervene.
The flight operator said today: “Ryanair call on the French Government and European Commission to take immediate action to prevent the skies over Europe being closed yet again.”