142 people were arrested in the French capital Paris during violent protests after the controversial pension reform was passed. Eleven police officers were injured on Tuesday night, the broadcaster BFMTV reported, citing police sources.
Among other things, some demonstrators would have set garbage cans on fire. Around 2,000 police officers were on duty in Paris alone. According to Franceinfo, there were also spontaneous demonstrations in other cities such as Saint-Étienne, Strasbourg, Amiens, Caen and Toulouse.
The reform to gradually raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years was passed on Monday evening after the opposition rejected two motions of no confidence. It is considered one of President Emmanuel Macron’s most important projects. There have been repeated strikes and violent protests against the reform in France for weeks.
Currently, the retirement age in France is 62 years. In fact, retirement begins later on average: those who have not paid in long enough to receive a full pension work longer. At the age of 67 there is then a pension without a deduction, regardless of the payment period – the government wants to keep this, even if the number of payment years required for a full pension is to increase more quickly. She wants to increase the monthly minimum pension to around 1,200 euros.
