French unions held more strikes against President Emmanuel Macron’s reform of the country’s pension system on Thursday, a day after he went on television to insist he won’t back down and likened protesters to the rebels who stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Ground transportation, flights and refineries were impacted as anger over raising the minimum retirement age to 64 from 62 shows no sign of receding more than two months after the start of a series of walkouts and marches. Unions called for another day of nationwide protests and strikes on March 28.
Some of the protests turned violent on Thursday, with some 149 police officers injured across France, often from incidents "coming from far-left groups,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on French television. More than 140 fires were lit by protesters in Paris streets, Darmanin added. The gate in front of Bordeaux city hall was also burned.