On the sidelines of a demonstration against the pension reform, a fire has been lit at the entrance area of the town hall in the southern French city of Bordeaux. Damaged was the portal of a colonnade leading to the forecourt of the town hall, said a spokeswoman for the responsible prefecture of the German press Agency on Thursday evening. A man had been arrested. The mayor of Bordeaux, Pierre Hurmic, expressed shock at this act. "I am extremely saddened, shocked and outraged that you can attack the town hall, the house of all Bordelais," Hurmic told the news channel France Info. According to the trade union, 250,000 people demonstrated in the streets of the city, which is home to about 110,000 people.

Protests against the controversial pension reform also broke out in other cities. According to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, more than 170 people were arrested. Almost 150 forces were injured. There have been attacks on several public buildings. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called the violence and damage unacceptable.

In France, according to official figures, more than a million people have taken to the streets against President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform. The Ministry of the Interior spoke on Thursday of almost 1.09 million demonstrators throughout the country. According to the CGT trade union, more than 3.5 million people took part in the strikes and protests. In several cities, the mood was partly heated, occasionally there were also riots.

Gradual raising of the retirement age

Meanwhile, it was reported from the south of France that fuel was becoming scarce at gas stations. From Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport (also known as Roissy), which demonstrators had blocked on Thursday and could only reach passengers on foot for the last few meters, it was said that the fuel levels for kerosene had dropped dangerously because the refineries in the country are on strike.

The pension reform is considered one of President Macron's central projects. The government wants to gradually raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. In addition, the number of payment years required for a full pension should increase faster. This is intended to avert an impending financing gap of the pension fund. The unions consider the project to be unjust and brutal.