2023 French pension reform strikes

The issue of pension reforms has been dealt with by various French governments over recent decades, specifically to tackle budget shortfalls. France has one of the lowest retirement ages for an industrialised country, and spends more than most countries on pensions, with it amounting to almost 14% of economic output. As part of Macron's pension reforms, the retirement age was to be raised to 64 or 65, from 62. The pay-as-you-go system – raising the retirement age would help to further finance, as life expectancy increases and more start work later – would have a surplus of €3.2bn in 2022, but the government's pensions advisory board (COR) forecast that it would "fall into structural deficits in coming decades unless new financing sources are found". The pension reforms have long been under consideration by Macron and his government. Reforming the pension system was a significant part of his platform for election in 2017, with initial protests and transport strikes in late 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic which saw Macron delay the reforms further. On 26 October 2022, Macron announced that pension reform scheduled for 2023 intended to raise the retirement age to 65, be gradually increased from 62 to 65 by 2031, by three months per year from September 2023 to September 2030. Furthermore, the number of years that contributions would need to be made to qualify for the full state pension would increase from 42 to 43 in 2027, meaning that some may have to work to 67 – the year at which a person is automatically able to receive a state pension from. Use of Article 49.3 Article 49.3 of the French Constitution allows governments to bypass the National Assembly and force through bills without a vote. However, invoking it triggers a proviso that allows for no-confidence motions to be filed in the government. Because each party tends to only vote for their own motions and against those of others, on only one occasion, in 1962, where the Article has been triggered, the government lost a subsequent no-confidence motion. On 16 March, it was said "[m]inutes before MPs in the lower house were to vote, Macron was still holding a series of frantic meetings with senior political figures, and suddenly chose to use special powers instead of risking a vote, which he appeared poised to lose". The decision to invoke was a "surprise, last-minute decision" by Macron, as "he was not certain of the support of enough lawmakers" to take the bill to a National Assembly vote. The Guardian explained that 49.3's invoking "illustrates Macron's difficult position in parliament", with his parliamentary party/grouping having lost its majority in the National Assembly following the 2022 legislative election. == Motivations ==

union flag during protests in Grenoble on 15 March , metallurgy branch, during protests in Grenoble on 15 March The coordination of the strikes by all of France's trade unions has been labelled a "rare show of unity", The decision to invoke Article 49.3 was seen by those on the left as "a major defeat and a sign of weakness" for the government, that would now be seen as "being brutal and undemocratic"; It has been suggested that the reforms do not adequately tackle the disadvantage women are at within the workforce, who usually retire later than men and with pensions 40% lower in comparison, attributed to more part-time work and maternity leave. of those employed in 'physically or mentally demanding' jobs are still eligible to retire earlier with a full pension, At the other end of the scale, it has been reported that some are concerned about "being forced to retire later because older adults who want to work but who lose their jobs often face age discrimination in the labor market". Those opposed to the reforms argue "the government is prioritizing businesses and people who are highly paid over average laborers", and have "disputed the need for urgency", The New York Times saying they contest that "Macron is attacking a cherished right to retirement and unfairly burdening blue-collar workers because of his refusal to increase taxes on the wealthy". In addition, opponents opine that Macron has "exaggerated the threat of projected deficits and refused to consider other ways to balance the system, like increasing worker payroll taxes, decoupling pensions from inflation or increasing taxes on wealthy households or companies", and that "the official body that monitors France's pension system has acknowledged that there is no immediate threat of bankruptcy and that long-term deficits", which Macron and the government have argued would occur if these reforms were not implemented, "were hard to accurately predict". Jean Garrigues, a historian on France's political culture, theorized the unpopularity of the reforms can be partially attributed to Macron personally, given the "pre-existing anger against" him, having "struggled to shake off the image of an out-of-touch 'president of the rich. He said that "[t]hat's why he has not only all the unions, but also a large part of public opinion against him", as "[b]y tying himself to the project, opposition to it is heightened, dramatized in a way." It has been criticized for having taken place during a cost-of-living crisis, which some have attributed to worsening the anger and protests over the policies. The Times said that some have "questioned the political wisdom of going ahead with the reform at a time when the public mood has been soured by high inflation", as €7.1 billion of the €17.7 billion that "the reform was meant to have saved has been wiped out by modifications to its provisions". == Rioting ==

The protests, in very minor part, gave way to instances of violence and rioting as demonstrators and police forces clashed in the streets. Anti-union degradations In Chambéry, "banners, sound systems, flags, and union tunics prepared for the 7 March demonstration went up in smoke" when fire was set to three vehicles parked in front of the Union hall. The methods used resembled those used in other degradations in the area in the preceding year, including a swastika and anti-vax slogans spray-painted on the regional health agency (ARS) offices. Black bloc There were black bloc groups at the front of the demonstrations in Paris, Lyon, and Nantes on May 1. There were between 2000 and 3000 in Paris, 1000 in Lyon (among 2000 the Rhône prefecture identified as "risky individuals"), and large numbers were also present in Nantes. == Pre-Article 49.3 invoking ==

19 January On 19 January, the Ministry of the Interior counted 1.12 million demonstrators, including 80,000 in Paris. Over 200 demonstrations were reported in the country. More than one million people took to the streets in Paris and other French towns as part of countrywide protests over proposals to raise the retirement age. Over 200 demonstrations were reported in the country. The new law would increase annual pension contributions, from 41 to 43 payments throughout the year. Some flights out of Orly Airport were canceled, while the Eurostar website reported the cancellation of many routes between Paris and London. Though "a few delays" were reported at Charles de Gaulle Airport, owing to striking air traffic controllers, no flights were canceled. Demonstrations organized by different groups took place in other cities, like in Dinan, Limoges and Lyon. 31 January (Aquitaine, Occitania) on 31 January. Demonstrations were organized around the country with public transport, schools, and electricity production specifically targeted by the strikes. Public television broadcasters were also affected by the strikes, with news broadcasts cancelled and music played instead. According to the CGT union, 2.8 million people took part in the protests while the Ministry of Internal Affairs counted 1.272 million protesters. 11 February On 11 February, a fourth day of national protests was held. According to the CGT, over 2,500,000 protesters took part in demonstrations, a rise of 500,000 compared to 7 February, while the Ministry of the Interior claims that 963,000 protested, a rise of over 200,000 compared to 7 February. In Paris, over 500,000 people demonstrated against the reform according to the CGT, while 93,000 demonstrated according to the prefecture. The Intersyndicale called for recurring strikes starting on 7 March. 16 February On 16 February, protesters joined fresh rallies and strikes. Unions said some 1.3 million people participated nationwide Thursday, the lowest figure since the protest movement started on January 19. The interior ministry put the national figure at 440,000, down from nearly a million on Saturday (11 Feb). On the day, 30 per cent of flights from Paris's Orly airport were cancelled. 7 March ) on 11 March. In early March, trains around the country continued to be affected by strikes and protests. It is believed that 1.1 to 1.4 million people participated in over 260 protests across the country. As a part of the protest, union members blocked fuel deliveries from being made, with the intention of bringing the French economy to its knees. 11–12 March On Saturday, 11 March, the seventh day of protests was held in response to the National Assembly and Senate debating the draft law, with a final vote expected that month. Macron twice declined meetings with unions that week. About 368,000 people protested, below the 800,000–1,000,000 expected. The following day, the Senate passed an initial vote by 195–112. 15 March ) on 15 March: CGT flags On 14 March, The Guardian reported that "French unions have called for a show of force with a final day of strikes and protests in the run-up" the vote on the reforms in the National Assembly, which would be the eighth day of national mobilisation sofar. Transport Minister Clément Beaune said "there would be disruption to public transport and flights, but it was unlikely to be a "Black Wednesday"", with "not ... the same level of disruptions as with previous mobilisations". Figures from Le Monde dispute both these claims. Reportedly, French police expected 650,000–850,000 protesters nationwide, fewer than the largest protests the previous week, with preliminary figures demonstrating a lower strike turnout in the energy and transport sectors at midday compared to previous days. The protestors' march ended at the Place d'Italie. Known as "Greve 15 mars", it was co-ordinated and organised by eight trade unions. and Mulhouse. PBS reported that Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin had asked Paris City Hall to force some of the garbage workers to return to work, calling the build-up along the streets "a public health issue". Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said that she supported the strike, and in response a government spokesman Olivier Véran declared that if she did not comply, the Interior Ministry would be "ready to act instead". == Use of Article 49.3 and aftermath ==

16 March Use of Article 49.3 Protests erupted after the announcement that the pension reforms would be enacted without a parliamentary vote, Borne invoking article 49:3 of the constitution to do so just "minutes" before the scheduled vote on the bill. Inside the National Assembly, opposition MPs on the left booed and jeered the announcement and sang the national anthem forcing the session to be briefly suspended before the announcement by Borne was made. Speaking to MPs who were booing her, Borne proclaimed that "[w]e cannot gamble on the future of our pensions ... The reform is necessary." describing the use of Article 49.3 as "an extraordinary confession of weakness," Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure "accused Macron of deploying a "permanent coup d'état" to shove through the legislation". The Week said that "Macron and his government insist the reforms are needed to keep the pension system solvent and government borrowing acceptably low". In the Place de la Concorde, thousands protested (figures are disputed between 2,000 protesters and 7,000). France 24 reported that it was a "spontaneous and unplanned rally", with police armed with shields and batons deploying tear gas in an attempt to clear the square Protesters in the Place were observed to have thrown cobbled stones at assembled police before they moved in to break up the groups, and "caused damage to shop fronts". The CGT announced further strikes and demonstrations for 23 March; before riot police intervened using tear gas to clear the square, after some "climbed scaffolding on a renovation site, arming themselves with wood", and "lobbed fireworks and paving stones at police in a standoff". On Twitter, a clip of protesters gathered at the Place chanting "we decapitated Louis XVI and we can start again, Macron" went viral, with protesters also, more generally, calling for Macron to resign. Broadcaster BFMTV reported that police detained 61 people following the protests. The Times claimed that the protestors' "ranks were swollen by members of the 'black bloc' – young masked troublemakers out for a fight". Specific methods of protest across France reported were street furniture being destroyed, bins set alight, and windows smashed. In Dijon, protesters burned effigies of Macron. In Bordeaux, "dozens" of protesters and demonstrators trespassed onto tracks at the main train station, including CGT unionists, with CGT and NPA flags being flown. Nevertheless, a bonfire was lit at the Place de la Concorde, with an effigy of Macron dropped onto it to cheers. Despite this, widespread protests were still reported in Paris, with a rally instead planned for Place d'Italie in southern Paris at 6pm that evening, at which demonstrators chanted, once again, for Macron to resign, and "Macron is going to break down, we are going to win". Barricades were erected in the streets, rubbish bins were set alight, protesters who gathered at the Place d'Italie then "marched toward Europe's biggest waste incineration plant, which has become a flashpoint of tensions", some setting trash cans alight and chanting mottos "such as "the streets are ours" as firefighter sirens wailed". police claimed that ""groups of violent individuals" triggered clashes". and "at least two oil refineries might be shut down starting Monday". Industry Minister Roland Lescure announced the government could order those striking to return to work in order to help avoid fuel shortages. Some neighbourhoods of Paris continued to have collection of waste disrupted; Philippe Martinez from CGT "urged" Paris collection workers to continue their now-two-week-long strike. Macron also made his first public statement since 16 March; issued to AFP, he said that he hoped "the text on pensions can go to the end of its democratic journey with respect for all". Bruno Le Maire, the Finance Minister, commented further; "[t]hose among us who are able will gradually need to work more to finance our social model, which is one of the most generous in the world". Leader of the Republicans, Éric Ciotti, said his party would not back the no-confidence motions, as he "refuses to 'add chaos to chaos; consequently, it was expected that the motions would not pass, as the Republicans act as de facto kingmakers in the National Assembly, neither Macron's bloc or the other opposition parties combined numbering a majority. NUPES' Jean-Luc Mélenchon informed RTL that "[f]or as long as the 64-year reform is on the table, we have to keep it up, but decried the use of violence, advising protesters to not "make our struggle invisible with practices that would be turned against us, as "Macron... is counting on people going too far, so as to profit from a situation of fear." The Times reported that, in response to Ciotti's party refusing to support the motions, and that some Republican MPs may not follow their leader's decision, National Rally president Jordan Bardella was attempting to "persuade more to follow suit by promising his party will not put up candidates against them if the crisis does lead to an election". In the morning, rubbish piles were set alight around the ring road in Rennes as part of a road blockade, with protesters also blockading waste collection points and the nearby Vern-sur-Seiche oil depot was blockaded. Shortly before midday, it was announced they had all been lifted. However, a damaged road in Porte de Saint-Malo meant the speed limit was temporarily reduced to 70 kilometers per hour. On 17 March, teachers' unions called for strikes in the following weeks, possibly disrupting the baccalauréat exams, The Republicans' leader has announced his intention not to support either motion, but The Times reported some LR MPs may defy him. The debate began at 4pm in the National Assembly, with opposition MPs "booing and jeering [the Prime Minister] when she took to the podium". She commented that the government "has never gone so far to form a compromise" to pass the pension reform laws. The author of the transpartisan motion, Charles de Courson, spoke that the removal of the government was "the only way of stopping the social and political crisis in this country". Éric Ciotti, leader of the Republicans, said invoking Article 49.3 was "a result of many years of political failures" that brought to the fore "a profound crisis in our constitution", but did not think the no-confidence votes was the solution required. Both motions of no-confidence failed. while National Rally's no-confidence motion only received 94 votes, after other opposition parties declared their intention to not vote for it. France 24 commented that over half of the Republican MPs would have needed to vote in favour for the motion to pass. France 24 noted some opposition MPs were "exploring legal avenues to challenge the law before the Constitutional Council, which must rule on the constitutionality of the reforms before they can be implemented"; Mathilde Panot, LFI parliamentary group chief, told gathered press that "[n]othing is solved, we'll continue to do all we can so this reform is pulled back". Marine Le Pen called for Borne to resign, and that Macron, in spite of how unlikely it was, should call a referendum on the reforms; she told the press that "[he]'s deaf to what the French people want". CNN reported "heavy police presence across the capital as demonstrators moved between locations", with AP quoting Paris police chief Laurent Nunez, who said the violence was "caused by groups of up to 300 people quickly moving through the capital". At least 70 people were arrested in Paris in the evening, Protests were also reported in Dijon, and in Strasbourg where protestors smashed a department store's windows. 287 people in total were arrested nationwide. On 20 March, CNN reported that "[a]uthorities in charge of civil air traffic asked airlines to cancel 20% of their flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Air France warned of flight cancellations in the upcoming days". "Hundreds" of workers have blocked access to the gas depots in a town near Marseille, AP added that the depot supplies fuel for southeastern France gas stations, which are currently most afflicted by shortages; government spokesman Olivier Veran "warned that more orders may follow in the coming days for other sites". In Paris, police Paris announced they had ordered rubbish collectors back to work to "ensure a 'minimum service'; this will cover 674 staff, with 206 garbage trucks resuming operation. In the morning, police had evacuated Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University's Tolbiac campus, having been previously blockaded and barricaded by students (which has notorious precedent in that regard); an attendee mentioned that many young students there had spoken of their experiences of police violence. Outside the École Duperré art school, students had "piled up a barricade of bins", with signs saying that the decision to raise the retirement age "would be met with a new May 1968"; one student interviewed said she was too frightened of being the victim of police violence at night to demonstrate at that time of day. Additionally, it was reported that 13% of petrol stations are undergoing fuel shortages due to oil refinery blockades, and that "almost half the pumps in the Bouches-du-Rhône area of the south have run dry". Unions also said that "up to half of primary school teachers would go on strike as part of Thursday's day of action but demonstrations were continuing on Wednesday, including outside the southern port of Marseille-Fos". 23 March CGT had announced on 16 March that the unions planned another day of strikes and demonstrations for 23 March, the ninth day of nationwide industrial action since the pension reform strikes began. Strike action Public transport was severely impacted by strikes. Only two Paris metro lines were running normal service. By late morning, there was large disruption to rail services across France, with SNCF saying that only one-in-three regional TER trains and one-in-two TGV or Ouigo services running. At Gare de Lyon train station, several hundred unionists and strikers demonstrated on the railway tracks. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation warned of disruption to flights at Paris-Orly, Marseille-Provence, Lyon and Toulouse. The impact varied nationwide, with reports suggesting that 40 out of 96 departments are affected, particularly in the north in Brittany and Normandy, as well as the Mediterranean coast. The government mandated minimum staffing at all depots. Major tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Versailles Palace were closed to the public. The Independent claimed over "12,000 police officers have taken positions in French streets with 5,000 in Paris, as authorities brace for the biggest strike action". ITV News reported in the early afternoon that it was "currently the site of a large demonstration", and also that "[h]uge crowds have started marching in the major cities of Marseille, Lyon, Paris and Nantes as more than 250 protests were organised across the country". Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT union said that "[t]here is a lot of anger, an explosive situation" at the start of a rally in Paris, as Reuters claimed that union leaders had "called for calm but were angry with what they called Macron's "provocative" comments". A heavy presence of "[h]eavily armed riot police" was reported. At around 2:40pm GMT, journalist Lewis Goodall claimed that "[t]he main demonstration route [in Paris] is full [and so] they're now filing onto every side street". He quoted the CGT union's claims that 800,000 were demonstrating in Paris. At around 4:05pm GMT, he tweeted that French TV were reporting 14 were arrested so far, presumably in Paris. . BBC News said "the vast majority" of protests "passed off without violence", but in the afternoon, "violent clashes" were reported to have "broken out in parts of Paris", riot police having used tear gas as 'black bloc' protesters were reported to have thrown fireworks, bottles and stones at police and set bins alight. Riot police were also observed using baton charges on the Grands Boulevards. At other times on the march, fires in the streets ignited some of the uncollected piles of rubbish, with some small fires "visible from the junction of Rue Saint-Fiacre and Boulevard Poissonnière". Smoke was observed rising from burning debris that blocked traffic on a Toulouse highway, as "wildcat strikes briefly blocked roads in other cities". Police fired tear gas at protesters in Nantes, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin responded on Twitter: "The attacks on and defacing of the subprefecture and the police station in Lorient are unacceptable. Thoughts with the injured officers. These acts cannot go unpunished." The Palais Rohan in Bordeaux was set on fire by protesters, affecting the front door, though the fire was put out promptly by firefighters. In the evening, Interior Minister Darmanin made a statement where he declared that there had been an attempt to kill police officers by some protesters. BBC News and France 24 claim he announced 123 police officers had been injured nationwide, In the afternoon, union heads Berger and Martinez spoke out. Berger appealed for non-violence, for the "respect of property and people", for "non-violent actions that don't handicap people's daily lives". Martinez claimed Macron was blamed for the actions of protesters and demonstrators, saying he had "thrown a can of petrol on the fire". 6 April The union leaders' meeting with Borne on 5 April ended after about an hour after both sides insisted that the pension reform must respectively be cancelled or remain. Union leaders exiting the meeting called for an eleventh day of protests to go ahead the following day. According to French authorities, between 600,000 and 800,000 demonstrators were expected, with 60,000 to 90,000 in Paris. According to the French Interior Ministry, 111 arrests were made and 154 police officers were injured. Protesters started a fire at Café de la Rotonde, one of Macron's favourite restaurants, and other protesters stormed the office buildings of BlackRock and Natixis Investment Managers. 14 April On 14 April, the Constitutional Council delivered its verdict on the pension bill, declaring it to be compatible with the Constitution. 17 April On 17 April, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to a government action plan in the next 100 days to decrease anger over the pension reform. Macron had also acknowledged the anger over the increasing prices jobs that did not "allow too many French people to live well". Macron also stated that he wanted the Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, to take measure on work, law and order, education, and health conditions and issues. 19 April During Emmanuel Macron's tour of France, protesters gathered in Muttersholtz, wearing CGT vests and held unwelcoming signs and banners, including one banner which threatened to cancel the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics if Macron did not withdraw the pension reform. The protesters, who banged pots and pans in order to be heard, were pushed back by police in numerous locations across the country. Macron noted that the incidents would not stop him from making visits across France. During the tour, Macron thanked the French workers to their contributions to the nation, however he did not mention the ongoing protests. Effigies of Macron and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin were abused or burned across France, including the city of Strasbourg. 108 police officers were injured in the clashes, 19 seriously injured in Paris, and 291 protesters were arrested. 2 May After the May Day protests, French trade unions on 2 May announced a new day of nationwide protests against Macron's pension reform, setting the future protests on June 6. The next round marks the 14th wave of protests since the signing of the reform. The government responded that it wanted to "move on" to other issues and stated that it will send invitations to the unions for talks, and that the government would use it to reaffirm their opposition to the pension reform and work on proposals to improve workers' conditions. 3 May On 3 May, France's Constitutional Council rejected a second bid for pension referendum by political opponents. The council issued a statement stating that the proposed referendum failed the legal criteria, which was defined in the constitution, and it also failed to address the required reform regarding social policy. As a result, protests ensued, including some in the financial district of Paris. While the protests continued, Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, called on the French government to refrain from violence against protesters. 8 May While Macron celebrated Victory Day, law enforcement banned gatherings in Paris and Lyon. In Lyon, several streets were closed to traffic, public transportation was disrupted, and some parking was prohibited. Despite the restrictions, protests and bangs of pots and pans followed, in which authorities responded with tear gas being spread. Clashes also erupted at Montluc prison, where Macron paid tribute to a leading resistance figure, Jean Moulin, when protesters attempted to break through a riot police cordon, who were deployed to keep them away from the French president. 19 May Hospital workers protested in front of Carlton Cannes Hotel on 19 May, violating the ban on protests throughout most of the city. 21 May Dozens of protestors gathered in Gannes in the outskirts of Cannes Film Festival on 21 May. Local authorities ordered a ban on protests throughout most of the city. Protesters also stormed the headquarters of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, briefly occupying the headquarters building, however no damage occurred. 11,000 law enforcement officers were deployed, including 4,000 in Paris. == General impact and analysis ==

Concerns over increasing violence guarding Café de la Rotonde in Paris on 15 March. Multiple outlets, including media and unions, have grown concern over the increasing use of violence in the protests, particularly in the days since the government invoked Article 49.3, with comparisons made to the Gilets jaunes (Yellow Vests) protests of the first years of Macron's presidency. On 19 March, The Guardian commented that as "police brace[d] for a week of unpredictable, spontaneous protests in cities and small towns across France, the mood of anger was likened to the start of the gilets jaunes protests". Head of the UNSA trade union federation, Lauren Escure, admitted that "when there is this much anger and so many French people on the streets, the more radical elements take the floor", and that it was not something they would want, but was inevitable, and "will be entirely the government's fault," he told AFP. The heads of two 'moderate' unions, Cyril Chabanier of CFTC and Laurent Berger of CFDT, expressed that unions were concerned. Berger has been reported as having warned the government that protests could grow more violent if those protesting begin to feel that the Yellow Vests, in France 24s words, "achieved more with violence than established unions with their peaceful, mass demonstrations". BBC News Paris correspondent, Hugh Schofield, on 22 March, said that the protests in recent days had been "spectacular, sometimes, visually" but "not huge in terms of scale" and "mostly .. the work of very committed left-wingers, class-warrior types, who are leading the battle". Natasha Butler of Al Jazeera said the violence in recent days was "sporadic". Waste collection strike A strike by waste collectors began on 6 March, which included a blockade of the city's incinerators. The proposed pension reforms would raise their retirement age from 57 to 59. The impact of the waste workers' strike has left thousands of tonnes of rubbish uncollected on the streets of Paris. On 17 March, it was estimated the amount was 10,000 tonnes, up from 7,600 earlier in the week. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that "strikers were being forced back under emergency powers designed to safeguard essential services", and from the morning of 17 March told RTL radio that "requisitioning is working and bins are being emptied", although this was disputed by an aide of Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. Waste collection strikes also affected Antibes, Rennes, and Le Havre. Actions of police (violent behaviour; outcome of arrests) Euronews reported that, of the 292 arrested after the protests on 16 March only nine were "charged with actual offences". Additionally, they have reported that many who just happened to be passing by were taken into custody, some without a "clear reason why", with French media reporting two Austrian children on a school trip were taken into custody after the 16 March protests, only released following intervention by the Austrian Embassy. On 17 March, 60 people were taken into custody, with 34 cases closed, 21 with another result (such as a caution or warning), with just five ending up at trial. Coline Bouillon, a lawyer who represented some demonstrators, told Euronews that a large group of people who had been at a conference were "rounded up", police justifying the arrests for their "participation in a group with a view to preparing violence", or "concealing their faces"; they were remanded in custody for one to two days; she, among a group of lawyers, intend to "file a collective complaint against the police for "arbitrary detention" and "obstruction of the freedom to demonstrate"." On 20 March, on television, police were seen momentarily firing tear gas and rushing at demonstrators in several cities, with special motorbike officers thrusting through protesters, which made Clément Voule, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association, respond on Twitter by stating that officers should avoid using disproportionate force. On 21 March, an Interior Ministry spokesperson commented that "there are no unjustified arrests", and people are questioned for "offences which, in our eyes, are constituted" and "48 hours (of police custody) to try to process the offence is short". AFP was told by a senior police source that instructions have not been given to conduct mass arrests, adding "when high-risk profiles are arrested, they are no longer agitating others"; another officer added that with such a high number of arrests, the "manoeuvre is risky", as they "expose the workforce, monopolise officers" and "risk radicalising the demonstrators". On 21 March, The Guardian reported that the "police watchdog is investigating allegations that four young women in Nantes were sexually assaulted during police controls at a demonstration last week". During the protests of the 23 March, hundreds of officers were injured across France. However, as BBC News wrote, protesters were also injured by police stun grenades, and the Council of Europe declared that there was no justification for "excessive force" by authorities. Public opinion polling analysis has shown that Sarkozy's push for reform played a role in driving voters to both the Socialist Party and the far-right National Front in the 2012 presidential election. One author of a paper in academic journal West European Politics tweeted a screenshot of the results of a study that showed executive approval has historically fallen after no-confidence votes, and linked it to what the impact of invoking Article 49.3 could be. The Guardian touched on political dissatisfaction, comparing the protests to that of the gilet jaunes, which "were initially against fuel tax rises but evolved to encompass a wider lack of trust in the political system". However, in the week leading up to the scheduled visit, many news organizations began to report that the King's visit could be disrupted by the ongoing protests. The optics for the trip were criticised. The author of a biography of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Stephen Clarke, said it was "very bad timing", and that while the people of France would "normally ... welcome a British king", "in this moment, people protesting are on high alert for any sign of privilege and wealth"; Associated Press (AP) commented that "what was meant to be a show of bonhomie and friendship ... instead ... is being seen as an unnecessary display of hereditary privilege". He added that the King and Queen Consort's plans to attend a "lavish dinner at the former royal residence, the Versailles Palace", "does not look good", and "seems very 1789". Associated Press clarified that the "lavish Versailles, once the dazzling center of royal Europe, is a potent symbol of social inequalities and excess". The Daily Telegraph reported that the banquet, intended to take place on 27 March, could be cancelled or moved. EELV MP Sandrine Rousseau called for the trip to be cancelled, asking if "the priority [is] really to receive Charles III at Versailles? Something is taking place within French society... the priority is to go and talk to society which is rising up." On 24 March, at the request of the French Government, the state visit was postponed. Macron reportedly decided it would no longer be feasible or appropriate for the visit to take place once unions announced the tenth day of national walkouts on the 28 March, during the state visit. Éric Ciotti, leader of the Republicans said the cancellation brought "shame on our country", while Mélenchon was of an opposing mood, "delighted" that the "meeting of kings at Versailles" had been broken up, and that "the English knew that France's interior minister was pathetic on security". The visit was rescheduled for some time in the summer, "when things calm down again". == International reactions ==

Iran condemned what it called “France's repression of protests.” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said "We call on the French government to respect human rights" and further added "instead of creating chaos in other countries, listen to the voice of your people and avoid violence against them." The comments were widely condemned as hypocritical by the government of France. France's Human Rights League has accused the authorities of disproportionate and dangerous use of public force, undermining citizens' right to protest. The league's president said "The authoritarian shift of the French state, the brutalisation of social relations through its police, violence of all kinds and impunity are a major scandal." Rights groups and independent bodies, including the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, have criticized French police for resorting to excessive force and for making preventative arrests that could amount to arbitrary deprivation of liberty. The French Defender of Rights noted on March 21 that "this practice may induce a risk of disproportionately resorting to custodial measures and fostering tensions." Human Rights Watch told AFP it was very concerned about "what appears to be abusive police practices." According to Reporters Without Borders, several "clearly identifiable" journalists were assaulted by security forces during the demonstrations. On 20 March, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association warned French authorities that “peaceful demonstrations are a fundamental right that the authorities must guarantee and protect. Law enforcement officers must facilitate them and avoid excessive use of force.” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated "We support the right of people to protest and to express their opinions" when asked about the situation in France. Dimitris Koutsoumpas, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece, attended a rally in Paris on 23 March; in a statement from Bastille Square, expressing his solidarity with the "struggle of the French people ... against anti-labor policies, against the anti-popular choices" utilised by both the French and the Greek governments in order to ensure the working people "finally win" and "pave the way for their own interests and not the interests and profits of the few." The International Anthem was played over loudspeakers, with the railway workers and trade unionists being spoken to offering him a "Friends of the Paris Commune" handkerchief. ==See also==