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Macron rushed from Paris theatre during protest
PARIS, Jan 18, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron and his
wife were rushed from a Paris theatre late Friday after protesters tried to
burst in and disrupt the performance.
Riot police were out in force as dozens of people staged a demonstration
outside the theatre where Macron and Brigitte were watching “The Fly”.
About 30 protesters tried to enter the building housing the renowned
Bouffes du Nord theatre after some people in the audience tweeted the
presence of France’s first couple, presidential staff said.
The pair “were secured” for several minutes and later returned to their
seats to finish watching the play, they said.
Police said they prevented the protesters from getting into the theatre in
the 10th district of Paris, which lies several kilometres from the
president’s Elysee Palace’s residence.
The Macrons, who occasionally slip out to enjoy a dinner or play in the
French capital, finally left the theatre under police escort.
“All together, general strike,” protesters shouted during the stand-off
with riot police that lasted around an hour.
The demonstration took place on the 44th day of a crippling strike against
the Macron government’s proposed pension reforms.
Though it is now easing, the strike has snarled train and metro traffic
and caused misery for millions of commuters in Paris especially.
Macron’s staff was defiant after Friday’s events.
“The president will continue to attend plays as he is used to doing. He
will watch out to defend creative freedom to ensure it is not undermined by
violent political acts,” a Macron aide said.
Making few public appearances for weeks, Macron last mixed with the crowds
when he visited the northern city of Amiens in November before his retirement
reforms were announced.
The overhaul aims to forge a single pensions system from the country’s 42
separate regimes, which offer early retirement and other benefits to public-
sector workers as well as lawyers, physical therapists and even Paris Opera
employees.
Critics say it will effectively force millions of people to work longer for
a smaller pension.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1928 hrs