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Violence erupts in May Day protests in Paris, marchers criticize re-elected Macron
Police fired tear gas to push back black-clad anarchists who ransacked business premises in Paris
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A police officer clashes with a protesters in tear gas smoke on the sidelines of the annual May Day (Labor Day) rally, marking International Workers' Day, in Paris on May 1, 2022. (Agence France-Presse/AFP)
P
olice fired tear gas to push back black-clad anarchists who ransacked business premises in Paris on Sunday during May Day protests against the policies of newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron.
Thousands of people joined May Day marches across France, calling for salary increases and for Macron to drop his plan to raise the retirement age.
Most were peaceful but violence broke out in the capital, where police arrested 54 people, including a woman who attacked a fireman trying to put out a fire, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter. Eight police were injured, he added.
Clashes with police broke out at the start of the march near La Republique Square and when it reached La Nation Square in eastern Paris.
"Black Bloc" anarchists ransacked a McDonald's restaurant on the Place Leon Blum and trashed several real estate agencies, breaking their windows and setting garbage bins on fire.
Police responded by firing tear gas.
About 250 rallies were organized in Paris and other cities including Lille, Nantes, Toulouse and Marseille. Overall 116,500 people demonstrated across the country, including 24,000 in the capital, the interior ministry said.
