Bordeaux town hall catch fire as more dan one million people enta streets across France on Thursday, and 119,000 for Paris, according to figures from di interior ministry.
Police bin fire tear gas on protesters for di capital and dem arrest 80 pipo across di kontri.
Di demonstrations dey happun because of one proposed law wey seek to increase di retirement age by two years from 62 to 64.
Unions don call for further protests next Tuesday, wey fall on di same day wit King Charles III bin suppose do state visit to di kontri. But dem don postpone am for now afta President Emmanuel Macron request for am.
E neva dey clear who dey responsible for di fire, wey firefighters quickly put out.
Wetin dey cause di protest for France
Since January, French unions don protest for nine days and dem say di tenth one go happun next week Tuesday.
Di protests dey come afta one goment decision to force lawmakers to raise di pension age through di lower house of parliament – wia e lack majority – without a vote.
For January, France goment bin propose to raise di legal retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030 for one major reform to di pension system.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne say di changes dey necessary to prevent major deficit for di system in di future.
Reforming pensions na one of President Emmanuel Macron main promises wen dem first elect am for 2017.
But di details immediately trigger angry response from di unions, as dem make plans for strikes on 19 January.
French President Emmanuel Macron don defend di move as e tok say di reform na necessity.
How di protest dey cause kasala
Paris, generally witness peaceful demonstrations and occasional clashes between police and masked rioters wey smash shop windows, destroy street furniture and attack one McDonald restaurant, according to Reuters news agency.
Dem drag one police officer wey lost consciousness go safety.
AP news agency report say police forces use tear gas and arrest 33 pipo for di capital.
France Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, tweet say “Demonstrating and voicing disagreements na right. Di violence and degradation wey we don witness today dey unacceptable. All my gratitude to di police and rescue forces dem mobilise.”
“I oppose dis reform and I really oppose di fact say democracy no mean anytin again,” one demonstrator tell Reuters. “We no dey represented, and so we dey fed up.”
“Na by protesting we fit make goment hear us because all di oda ways… no allow us withdraw di reform,” anoda protester tell AFP news agency.
Di demonstration also scata train travel, oil refineries and make teachers and workers for Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport waka comot from dia work.
Dem don lock popular tourist attractions like di Eiffel Tower and di Palace of Versailles, wia dem bin dey plan dinner for King Charles plus di French president next week.
For di northern city of Rouen, one young woman bin lie down for ground afta she sustain serious injury on her hand. Witnesses say she lost her thumb afta one grenade wey police fire to drive demonstrators hit her.
Oda clashes happun for di western cities of Nantes, Rennes and Lorient.
“Di street get legitimacy for France,” one protester for Nantes tok. “If Mr Macron no fit remember dis historic reality, I no know wetin e dey do hia”.
Goment dey hope say di protests go lose momentum, and say di violence wey dey happun for streets go turn pipo away.
Di opposition say di protest no go die down, but unions go need to plan strategy going forward, instead of promising more days like Thursday.
Wetin dey di pension reform
Di Prime Minister explain say di plan na to raise di retirement age gradually by three months a year, starting from September, she explain.
By 2027, e go reach 63 years and 3 months, and di target age of 64 for 2030. Di proposals include:
- A full pension from 2027 go require working for 43 years (instead of 42 years currently)
- Guaranteed minimum pension income of not less dan 85% of di net minimum wage, roughly €1,200 (£1,060) per month at current levels, for new retirees
- Police officers, prison guards, air traffic controllers and oda public workers for di jobs wey dey physically or mentally fit go keep di right to retire early
- Dia retirement age go increase by di same number of years as di wider labour force
- Dis go be end to so-called “special regimes” wit different retirement ages and benefits for rail workers, electricity and gas workers, among odas.
Di goment say di reforms go balance di pension budget and represent gross savings of €17.7bn a year by 2030.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire say di measures go also boost di employment rate among 60-64 year-olds wey dey low compare wit oda European kontris.
But sabi pipo say di timing dey bad sake of di high cost-of-living.
