Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe Dunja Mijatovic on Friday expressed concern that the French authorities have been using excessive force to control protesters against pension reform and urged them to respect the freedom of assembly
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2023) Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe Dunja Mijatovic on Friday expressed concern that the French authorities have been using excessive force to control protesters against pension reform and urged them to respect the freedom of assembly.
"The conditions, under which freedom of speech and assembly is exercised in France in the context of the social protest movement against the pension reform, are causing concern," Mijatovic said in a statement.
She also urged the French authorities to ensure that people can use these freedoms and to protect peaceful demonstrators and journalists covering these events from police violence.
"Incidents with the use of violence took place, some of which were directed against law enforcement agencies. But sporadic acts of violence on the part of some demonstrators ... cannot justify the excessive use of force by (police) officers," the commissioner said.
Mijatovic also expressed concern over the arrests of some demonstrators and passersby during the protests.
There have been nine nationwide strikes and hundreds of demonstrations against the pension reform in France within the last two months, with over 1 million people taking part in most of them. Demonstrations often turn violent as protesters hurl Molotov cocktails, firecrackers and bottles at the police, who deploy tear gas and stun grenades to disperse crowds. Earlier in the day, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said over 450 people have been arrested throughout the country.
On March 16, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced that the government had adopted a law on raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030 by invoking Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allowed the bill to get passed without parliamentary approval. The decision sparked a strong backlash, prompting people to take to the streets across the country.
