The traditional May Day protest in France turned violent Sunday, with police forced to use tear gas and non-lethal weapons to push back demonstrators. Police said demonstrators, dressed in all black, were destroying public property and looting businesses in the capital.
Participants of this year's May Day march protested against the policies enacted by newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron. This included pushback against Macron's plans to raise the retirement age and calls for an increased minimum wage.
The majority of the protests were peaceful, but violence erupted in the capital, where police had arrested 54 individuals, including a lady who assaulted a firefighter attempting to put out a fire. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said at least eight police officers were injured in separate incidents.
Incidents of violence were reported at the start of the march in La Republique Square and then again as the group reached La Nation Square in eastern Paris. Police said several people, who were reportedly part of the "Black Bloc" anarchist group, had broken into a McDonald's restaurant and several real estate offices in Place Leon Blum. They also reportedly set fire to several garbage bins and broke the windows of various establishments within the area.
A total of 250 rallies were held in Paris, as well as Lille, Nantes, Toulouse, and Marseille. Officials estimated that more than 116,500 people had participated in the demonstrations, with 24,000 in the capital.
The rising cost of living was a major subject in Macron's presidential election campaign, and it appears like it will be a key subject again ahead of the June parliamentary elections, which Macron's party and allies must win if he is to enact his pro-business plans.
Protesters that joined the march called on Macron to scrap his plans to increase the retirement age from 62 to 65. They also called on the government to implement measures to freeze rising basic commodity prices. Others openly called on Macron to step down due to his "inactivity." Philippe Martinez, the head of the hardline CGT union, said the French government has to address the issue of rising prices by also raising wages.
The march in Paris was joined by far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who finished third in the first round of the presidential election. He wants to form a left-wing coalition, including the Greens, to take control of parliament and push Macron into a forced "cohabitation."
Macron was re-elected as the nation's president for another five years after he beat Marine Le Pen in last week's runoff vote. A parliamentary election is scheduled to be held this coming June.
