Violence erupts during French May Day protests
Al Jazeera
Nearly 300 protesters have been arrested and dozens of police officers were wounded after rioting broke out during May Day protests in France against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform.
At least 108 police were wounded, 25 in the capital, and 291 people detained across France as violence erupted in several cities on the sidelines of the main union-led marches, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters on Monday.
Darmanin added that such a high toll of police wounded was “extremely rare” for a May 1 protest day. He said one policeman who was hit by a Molotov cocktail had received burns to the face and hands but his life was not in danger.
Protesters clashed with security forces across France on Monday as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets for Labour Day to vent their anger against President Macron, who last month signed a law to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, despite months of strikes.
May Day protests: Labor rights demonstrations across Europe
Deutsche Welle
Protests in Germany began with a "Take Back the Night" demonstration organized by feminist and queer groups on the eve of May Day against violence targeting women and LGBTQ+ people.
Thousands took part in the largely peaceful demonstrations despite occasional clashes between participants and police.
Meanwhile May Day hundreds of rallies organized by labor unions and leftist groups have taken place across Germany.
German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) said 288,000 people took part in the 398 events.