Riot police blast protesters with water cannons and tear gas in Rennes

PROTESTERS angry with French President Emmanuel Macron and his plan to raise the pension age clashed with police in Rennes on Thursday (March 23), in a day of nationwide demonstrations. Footage posted to social media shows protesters in the northwestern city of Rennes throwing objects at police officers, including fireworks and glass bottles. Riot police can be seen using water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, some gathered behind makeshift roadblocks and bins to protect themselves, with one video showing an abandoned roadblock engulfed in flames. Opinion polls have long shown that a majority of voters were opposed to delaying retirement age by two years to 64. Voters were further angered by the government’s decision last week to push the pension changes through parliament without a vote and by Macron’s comments on Wednesday (March 22). The clashes in Rennes follow protests in other cities across France, including Nantes, Nice, Toulouse, as well as Paris,