France May Day Protests: Police Fire Teargas Amid Clashes With Demonstrators

French May Day protests resulted in more than 100 police officers being injured
Law enforcement personnel fired teargas into crowds
The protests come in opposition to President Emmanuel Macron's retirement reform bill

French protesters took to the streets in opposition to President Emmanuel Macron's bill that raised the retirement age requirement as police fired teargas into crowds of demonstrators.

More than 100 law enforcement personnel were injured in clashes with protesters across the nation, based on data released by the country's interior ministry. French Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin noted that many police officers being injured was rare.

French May Day Protests Against Retirement Reform

The official added that 291 people were arrested during clashes with police officers amid the demonstrations. Hundreds participated in the May Day protests against Macron's retirement reform bill.

Most demonstrations were peaceful, but radical groups threw petrol bombs and fireworks. According to BBC, law enforcement personnel fired teargas and used water cannons in response to the groups.

In a Twitter post, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the violence amid the protests was "unacceptable." She also praised demonstrators' "responsible mobilization and commitment" in several other cities nationwide.

The May Day protests mark the latest mass action against Macron's bill that raised the retirement age requirement to get a pension from 62 to 64 years. Trade unions in the country have called for the government to withdraw the order.

The Interior Ministry released data that estimated the number of protesters to be roughly 782,000, which includes 112,000 in Paris. However, the CGT union said that the number of people present was three times higher than what officials showed.

The situation comes as President Macron continues to defend his reform bill as being needed to address the problem within the system. However, even some of the government's experts had argued that the pension system before the passage of the bill was in relatively good shape and was set to return to a balanced budget, according to France24.

Police Clash with Protesters

Anger among the people of France was exacerbated after the government used Article 49.3, otherwise known as the "nuclear option," to push the reform bill through parliament without having to go through a vote in March.

Police authorities in France also approved using drones equipped with cameras to monitor the crowds during the protests. However, several rights groups have filed a complaint against the effort, arguing that using the machines violates fundamental rights.

At Place de la Nation, a building caught fire amid protests, and authorities were able to contain the blaze at the end point of the demonstrations in the area. Police officials said that two fuel containers in front of a work site were set ablaze by a radical group.

In the same area, police used tear gas to push demonstrators back, but protesters did not give an inch on Monday. CNN said law enforcement personnel charged at the groups of demonstrators supported by a water cannon only to be met with a barrage of fireworks and stones.