France Goes All Out On May Day
They’re still going at it. These frogs are relentless.
France’s traditional May Day parade celebrating workers’ rights and achievements drew larger crowds than usual this year against the backdrop of fierce public rejection of a law increasing the retirement age.
In what began as a festive atmosphere — and amid rain in Paris — hundreds of thousands, including children, marched throughout France on Monday under the watchful eye of thousands of police officers and many law enforcement drones, despite efforts to ban their use. In the capital alone, some 5,000 police officers were deployed. The day brought both joyous scenes and violent clashes. Early in the day, demonstrators danced around the Triumph of the Republic, the Parisian sculpture of Marianne, the personification of the republic, astride a globe on a lion-drawn chariot. By evening, in sporadic clashes, demonstrators launched fireworks at police, who fired tear gas at protesters.
Officers made 111 arrests in Paris, according to a police statement sent to reporters by WhatsApp, and 291 arrests nationally, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told reporters.
In March, President Emmanuel Macron — fearing a loss in the lower house of Parliament, where he no longer has a majority — pushed through the landmark legislation raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 using a constitutional maneuver that enraged unions.
It’s great that Macron continues to stand his ground. We need more leaders who are willing to do the unpopular thing to turn back the tide. The world has so many problems that require solutions that the masses will view with disgust. Those who pull the strings are counting on spineless figureheads that only care to pack their pockets.
