French Police Detain 9 People During Pension Reform Strike in Paris

PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th January, 2020) The Paris prefecture said on Thursday that police had detained nine people during this year's first strike against the government's universal pension plan in the French capital, as well as used tear gas to disperse violent rioters in the city center.

"In order to ensure the safety of people and property, law enforcement officers are carrying out preventive checks before the start of the demonstration. At 2:45 a.m. [13:45 GMT], 9 people were detained," the prefecture said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, radical protesters clashed with police officers near the Paris-Saint-Lazare train station, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

A group of young people, dressed in black, threw firecrackers, stones and garbage at the police on one of the streets adjacent to the station. The police, in turn, used smoke bombs and tear gas.

On December 5, France saw the beginning of the indefinite national strike against French President Emmanuel Macron's initiative, which will take away a number of privileges and special retirement conditions from certain categories of workers, including those working in transport. As a result of the strike, the work of the country's transportation networks has been thrown into chaos.