02.01.2020
French President Emmanuel Macron, who initiated a reform set to unify the country’s pension system, limiting it to a few programmes, vowed on 1 January 2020 to finalise his initiative regardless of the public’s protests.
Demonstrations against the upcoming pension system reform in France continued throughout Paris on 2 January, with rioters blocking streets, transport hubs and clashing with police as the protests are approaching the one-month milestone of continuous rallies. Riot police reportedly used tear gas in the form of spray to disperse the protesting crowds across the city.
Videos of the post-New Year’s Eve encounters have flooded social media
#Paris: Police violence towards strikers and their supporters this morning during strike action by RATP. #Macron #France #Greve2janvier #Giletsjaunes #reformesdesretraites
— nonouzi (@Gerrrty) January 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/OBebert/status/1212608812877860864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1212608812877860864&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsputniknews.com%2Feurope%2F202001021077923750-videos-of-new-riots-in-paris-surface-as-protests-against-pension-reform-continue-for-nearly-a-month%2F
Several protesters were arrested as result of police efforts to dissolve the protests.
🔴Intervention en cours des forces de l’ordre Avenue de l’Opera. Plusieurs arrestations. #greve2janvier #Paris #greve #reformedesretraites #Retraites pic.twitter.com/TuLmlWZR6h
— Charles Baudry (@CharlesBaudry) January 2, 2020
Some users reported cases of police brutality during protests, although it is not clear from the videos whether the violence was unprovoked.
https://twitter.com/LeGeneral00/status/1212484101158195200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1212484101158195200&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsputniknews.com%2Feurope%2F202001021077923750-videos-of-new-riots-in-paris-surface-as-protests-against-pension-reform-continue-for-nearly-a-month%2F
https://twitter.com/Ian56789/status/1212708461701677056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1212708461701677056&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsputniknews.com%2Feurope%2F202001021077923750-videos-of-new-riots-in-paris-surface-as-protests-against-pension-reform-continue-for-nearly-a-month%2F
Protests against the pension system reform started on 5 December 2019, as people remained dissatisfied with President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to simplify the system, reducing it to a few pension plans as opposed to the current 42. Despite the ongoing protests, Macron has vowed to finalise the reform.