Riot-like situation erupts in Lyon as pension reform protests continue in France

On Tuesday France’s third most populous city, Lyon witnessed a riots-like situation as the protests against the controversial pension reforms continue to rage on. According to the Russian news outlet, Tass, the police in the area were forced to use tear gas to tackle the unruly behaviour of the hundreds of people protesting on the streets of Lyon. The ruckus intensified after the protesters in the area started shattering windows of banks, and shops which were located at the march routes. 

According to Tass, clashes between law enforcement and protestors also broke out in the city of Nantes as well. The controversial pension reforms deal with increasing the age of retirement from 62 to 64 years. French President Emmanuel Macron has been trying to push the bill amid the raging protests. Earlier this month, the French President used his special powers to override the National Assembly’s voting on the highly controversial bill. The move invited the initiation of a no-confidence motion against the French president, which he managed to survive. 

The protest rages on as Macron remains adamant

In the city of Nantes, the protestors broke the windows of an administrative tribunal building and even set fire to the trash cans around the region. As the protestors continued to clash against the authorities they also set a car on fire and trashed a nearby medical school building. According to Tass, firefighters working under police protection had to intervene to later deal with the issue and prevent the fire from spreading further. The Macron administration is pushing for reform since the current policy is causing a major financial burden to the French economy.