Fort engagement contre l'austérité à Paris : une journée marquée par une mobilisation forte et quelques tensions. Refus de l'austérité : une mobilisation forte et quelques tensions à Paris, les points à retenir de cette journée d'action

Part of the Place de la Bastille in the early afternoon, the head of the Parisian demonstration arrived at Place de la Nation just before 6 p.m. Some clashes broke out with law enforcement along the route.

A massive mobilization and much larger than on September 10 everywhere in France. At 6 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior counted more than 500,000 demonstrators in France, including 55,000 in Paris. The CGT announced more than a million participants in France. For comparison, on September 10, there were «nearly 250,000» people mobilized according to the CGT, 197,000 according to the Ministry of the Interior.

Among the demonstrators are retirees, civil servants, and students, all angry about austerity measures.

In the Parisian procession, Hervé Renard, a 57-year-old CFTC union delegate, is annoyed. «We are still asking workers to make efforts. I have no debts. The state’s debt is its own, not mine,» jabs the construction worker.

«It’s general destruction, I’m very angry,» laments Charlotte, 54, who works in child protection and did not wish to give her last name. She says she is «deeply disgusted and tired of the current situation.»

Damase Mouralis, 52, a university professor, is there «for political reasons,» regretting the lack of a left-wing Prime Minister, and «against the austerity budget.»

Asked by our on-site journalist Toky Nirhy-Lanto, Marie, 23, fears «for her unemployment rights and the rise in the cost of living. I am a saleswoman and I earn the minimum wage. I am considering leaving because it is becoming impossible to live in Paris.»

31 arrests in Paris

After a very calm start, some tensions appeared at the head of the Parisian procession in the demonstration around 4:30 p.m. on Boulevard Voltaire. Law enforcement fired tear gas and charged the demonstrators several times after being targeted by projectiles. Bank windows and bus stops were targeted.

Demonstrators also tried to damage a fast-food restaurant and a bank, according to the Paris police prefecture.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, which has just released its latest report at 6 p.m., authorities have recorded 181 arrests, including 31 in Paris. 11 law enforcement officers, 10 demonstrators, and one journalist from France Télévisions were injured.

Approximately 6,200 police officers and gendarmes were mobilized in the agglomeration.

Asked by France Info this Thursday evening about the security assessment of the September 18 mobilization, Frédéric Péchenard, LR Vice President of the Ile-de-France region responsible for security and former Director General of the National Police, responded that «generally, things went well.»

He added that there was «a real concern from everyone, whether it be the unions, the police services, or the Ministry of the Interior. […] I think everyone contributed and we managed to have peaceful marches.»

Traffic is improving

Traffic is heavily disrupted, but in line with forecasts and will improve slightly in the late afternoon in public transport in the Paris region on Thursday.

In the Paris metro, open only during peak hours except for the three automatic lines, traffic is expected to be better than expected by the end of the day, according to an update from RATP. Some lines are reopening earlier than planned, and there will be more trains, such as on the busy line 13.

Regarding RER trains, most only run during peak hours.

Demonstrators enter Bercy

Earlier in the day, a group of demonstrators entered the compound of the Ministry of Economy and Finance at Bercy in Paris, a few hours before the start of the Parisian procession, according to Sud Rail and images reviewed by AFP.

No «damage» was done according to the police prefecture. «The demonstrators spontaneously left after a few minutes.» According to the union, there were 300 participants, including railway workers from Gare de Lyon, RATP employees, and students, who took part in this intrusion.

High schools and universities blocked

According to the Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL), the main high school union, a «dozen high schools» were blocked in the Paris region. Among these establishments: Maurice-Ravel high school in Paris where at least 300 students held up signs «block your school against austerity,» as observed by AFP. Selon le ministère de l’Intérieur, tous les lycées impactés étaient débloqués à 15h30. À 15h30, le ministère de l’intérieur a confirmé que tous les lycées affectés avaient été débloqués. Au lycée Maurice-Ravel à Paris, au moins 300 lycéens ont brandi des pancartes «bloque ton lycée contre l’austérité», a constaté l’AFP. À 15h30, tous les lycées impactés étaient débloqués selon le ministère de l’intérieur.

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