Around 4,000 people demonstrated on Tuesday in Charleville-Mézières against the government’s pension reform.
The Ardennes prefecture on Tuesday denounced “serious violence” on the sidelines of the demonstration which brought together 4,000 people in Charleville-Mézières, deploring the throwing of projectiles at the police, including “bottles of acid”, ” tense mortar fire, and announcing 18 arrests.
In this city of some 46,500 inhabitants, the authorities had already deplored last Thursday “violence against the police”, and “degradation” in particular against the building of the prefecture. However, she had praised the “responsibility of union officials” and the majority of the demonstrators.
9 fires started according to the prefecture
On Tuesday “on the sidelines of the movement, serious violence was perpetrated against the police who suffered a large number of projectiles”, in particular “stones, steel balls, or bolts”, details the prefecture in a press release.
“The forces of order were subjected to tense mortar fire and bottles of acid were used by the troublemakers”, without causing any injuries, she continues. “Nine fires were started”.
Contacted, the prefecture was unable to indicate what type of acid had been used. She specified that the violence had been committed by approximately “300 to 500 individuals”, in particular after the dispersal of the procession near the town hall.
The prefecture had banned all gatherings in certain streets surrounding its building, following the damage committed on Thursday.
