Clashes broke out in Paris today, Thursday, near the restaurant "La Rotonde," which is favored by President Emmanuel Macron. The venue had a festive atmosphere after Macron topped the first round of the presidential elections in 2017. A fire briefly ignited at a restaurant's awning while protesters hurled bottles and paint at the police. In the city of Rennes in the west of the country, police deployed tear gas against protesters who threw projectiles and set fire to garbage containers, chanting: "Strike, blockade, Macron must go!"
The unrest continues across the country in protest against the pension law that Macron insists on passing despite widespread opposition. On the other hand, polls show that a large majority of voters oppose the pension law and the government's decision to approve it in parliament without a vote. A source close to Macron responded by stating, "That is not what matters." According to Reuters, the same French source added, "If the role of the president is to make decisions based on public opinion, there is no need for elections… Being president means making choices that may not be popular at times."
