Pensions: Darmanin denounces the violence of "thugs" from the "far left"

March 23, 2023

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, denounced Thursday the violence of “thugs” from the “far left”, after the violence which broke out in France on the sidelines of the demonstrations against the pension reform.

“1,500 thugs” were present in Paris to “break cops and public buildings”, said the Minister of the Interior, who was speaking from the Paris police headquarters.

At this stage, there are 172 arrests in France, including 77 in Paris, some of which for “attacks against persons holding public authority” or “fires”, he added.

Many of those arrested are “young”, “many are known” as belonging to the “ultra-left”, he continued, denouncing “the bordélisation desired by part of the far left”, which “does not won’t win”.

Around 10:00 p.m., 140 fires had been recorded in the capital, including “about forty” being extinguished, he added.

At this time, 149 police officers and gendarmes were injured, some “seriously”, he regretted, referring to the throwing of “acid, molotov cocktails, cobblestones”, against the police.

The damage that has taken place “is very significant, much more than the previous days”, said Mr. Darmanin, denouncing in particular the damage to “public buildings” in Bordeaux where the porch of the town hall was briefly burned or in Lorient ( Morbihan) where a police station was targeted.