In all, 4,200 people marched in Paris and there were 169 arrests, including 122 in the capital.
169 arrests, including 122 in Paris, were carried out in France during the demonstrations on Saturday evening against the pension reform, the Ministry of the Interior told franceinfo on Sunday March 19. 4,200 people took part in the demonstration on Saturday evening at Place d’Italie in Paris. The police headquarters made 112 arrests. The police headquarters had banned all demonstrations at Place de la Concorde. 400 checks were carried out around the square and 12 people were arrested in the evening. The ban on demonstrations is maintained on Sunday at Place de la Concorde and on the Champs-Elysées, according to the police headquarters. In addition, 118 police custody, including 12 minors, are in progress in Paris after the demonstrations on Saturday evening, said the Paris prosecutor’s office. They will be processed on Sunday.
Several rallies against the pension reform were marred by incidents on Saturday in several cities in France, according to the France Bleu network. Outside the big cities, more than 90 demonstrations were organized in France, bringing together 5,000 people. They took place without major incident, said the national gendarmerie. This is the assessment that can be made at midday.
Bouches-du-Rhone
In Marseille, 1,500 people gathered at Place de Gaulle, without incident, according to the police. In addition, incidents took place on the sidelines of the carnival of the Plain in Marseille. Participants took on the police. A law enforcement officer was injured. 4 people were arrested.
Eure
In the Eure, a declared demonstration started from Place Mandle, in Évreux, at 2 p.m. A thousand demonstrators were present according to the CGT, 600 according to the prefecture.
Gironde
In Bordeaux, between 1,900 (prefecture) and 5,000 (unions) demonstrators marched through the city center on Saturday afternoon, according to France Bleu Gironde. 7 people were arrested. Garbage cans were set on fire and the police used tear gas.
Loire Atlantique
In Nantes, 15,000 people (according to the CGT) met on Saturday afternoon, according to France Bleu Loire Océan. After having wiped jets of projectiles such as glass bottles, the police used tear gas. Garbage cans were set on fire.
North
In Lille, demonstrators threw projectiles at the police. Bus shelters were defaced and garbage cans set on fire. Two officers were lightly injured and one person was arrested, police said.
Rhone-Alps
In Lyon, the police had begun to disperse 500 demonstrators on Saturday evening, because of the presence “thugs and violent groups”, according to the prefecture. The fire was set to garbage cans. There were 15 arrests, according to the police.
Paris
In Paris, 110 people were arrested near Place d’Italie, where 4,200 demonstrators gathered at 6 p.m., according to the police. According to a source familiar with the matter, this demonstration declared by the Attac association was peppered with “numerous damages by tags, fires of garbage cans, billboards and urban equipment”. In addition, the police were the object of bottle throwing after the overturning of glass containers. A kindergarten, the town hall of the 13th arrondissement and a medical center have been tagged. Four police officers were slightly injured without being hospitalized. The demonstration degenerated around 8 p.m., according to the France Inter reporter on the spot. Some thugs dressed in black set fire to trash cans and the police used tear gas. Twelve people were arrested in the early evening at Place de la Concorde, where demonstrations are prohibited.
Seine Maritime
In Rouen, between 380 and 700 people demonstrated in the city center on Saturday afternoon according to France Bleu Normandie. Protesters disrupted traffic, cars, buses and some subways. In Seine-Maritime, 1,000 people gathered in Le Havre, according to the unions and the prefecture. The demonstrators marched for two hours, calmly, according to state services.