Serious riots during mass protests against pension reform
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Rioters also set fire to a bicycle rental station on the sidelines of the demonstrations in Paris
Credit: AFP/ALAIN JOCARD
In Paris, hundreds of thousands took to the streets again on May Day to protest the pension reform undertaken by the Macron government. Some set cars and rubbish bins on fire. The police used tear gas and water cannon.
nAfter a nationwide mobilization of trade unions, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in France on May 1 against President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform. There were many riots. Arrests and injuries were reported in Paris and other major cities, and police used tear gas and water cannons. The demonstrators set cars and garbage bins on fire and smashed the windows of banks and shops.
The first clashes broke out and 30 people were arrested in Paris this afternoon. French radio reported that a police officer was hit by an incendiary device and was seriously injured. Property damage and arson also occurred in Lyon. Rioting was also reported from Nantes. In the capital and other major cities, the police used drones to monitor the situation for the first time.
Unions called for more than 300 rallies in large cities and small towns. According to their statements, the authorities counted about 782,000 demonstrators across the country. On the other hand, trade unions spoke of 2.3 million participants.
„Macron resigns,” read the banner that the demonstrators raised from the statue in Republic Square on the occasion of Labor Day.
Source: dpa / Aurelien Morissard
It was expected that the number of demonstrators could reach 100,000 in Paris alone. In Paris, demonstrators threw projectiles at police officers and smashed storefronts. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons. According to the authorities, a police officer suffered severe burns to his face and hands from a Molotov cocktail. At least 46 people were arrested in the capital.
The latest nationwide protests against pension reform erupted two weeks ago, after Macron officially raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. The fact that the government pushed through the reform without a vote in parliament, using a special clause, is also infuriating.
The demonstrators are chanting for President Macron and the prime minister holding a banner that reads, „I am king, you are nothing.”
Source: dpa / Thibault Camus
Parades on May Day in France usually gather between 100,000 and 160,000 people across the country. Now, however, the labor unions have declared May 1 to be another day of protest over the president’s reform.
Macron’s centrist government would like to see the now-determined pension reform finished, but unions and parts of the opposition continue to protest to prevent it from being implemented from September 1.
The last moments before repair
The question now is whether the May Day demonstrations will be the last major marches against pension reform. The number of participants had already been declining beforehand, and there were also signs of the common front of the trade unions disintegrating.
For the first time in years, the major trade unions have joined forces in the fight against reform. When it comes to the question of whether and when they will heed the government’s offers of dialogue again, a different path is emerging.
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On the other hand, Macron and his government want to move on to other issues as soon as possible. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne presented a 100-day program with steps for improvement in areas such as education, health and homeland security. It remains to be seen whether the government will get away with it. Since last summer’s elections, she no longer has an absolute majority in Parliament.
Putin’s forces are trying to advance further into the Kharkiv region. Thousands of civilians were forced to leave the war zone. Ukraine war in the news.
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Update from May 13, 10:43 p.m.: In light of the Russian attack in northeastern Ukraine, Germany and the Nordic countries promised Ukraine more arms deliveries. “We are united in our support for Ukraine in its defensive fight against the Russian attack,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Monday at a meeting with the heads of government of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland in Stockholm, Sweden. “We will continue to support Ukraine – as long as necessary.”
Finland’s Prime Minister Petri Orbo was more clear. The situation on the battlefield is critical and it is time to respond and do more. “We do not want to see a new Mariupol in Kharkiv. That is why every country in the West, in the European Union, must do everything it can immediately.
Transparency Notice
The information processed here comes from international media and news agencies, but also from the warring parties Ukraine and Russia. Information related to the war in Ukraine cannot be independently verified.
Russian attack in Kharkiv:Thousands of displaced civilians
Update from May 13, 8:40 p.m.: The Russian attack in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine is also accompanied by the expulsion of Ukrainian civilians. The governor of the region said in a press conference that about 6,000 people had been evacuated from the border area with Russia. This came through the Ukrainian portal KIndependent Yev.
Update from May 13, 7:50 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the deputy head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Andriy Alekseenko, the portal reported Independent Kyiv. Accordingly, Zelensky dismissed the intelligence officer by decree and appointed in his place Oleg Lohovsky. The reason for the staff change had not yet been announced Monday evening.
Update from May 13, 6:30 p.m.: The Russian attack in the Kharkiv region causes more civilian casualties. as Ukrainian Pravda It was reported that Russian soldiers bombed a farm near a suburb east of the city. According to the regional government, one civilian was killed and three others were injured.
Ukrainian intelligence prevents attacks in Kiev and Lviv – two Russian agents arrested
Update from May 13, 5:25 p.m.: Ukraine says it has prevented several bomb attacks in Kiev. The news agency reported that Russia planned to launch attacks on a number of hardware stores in Kiev and a defense company in Lviv Reuters. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia planned to “detonate explosives in stores during peak hours to cause maximum harm to the civilian population.” Two Russian military agents were arrested as part of the investigation.
Ukraine attacks occupied Crimea
Update from May 13, 4:50 p.m.: Ukraine launched an air strike on Russia-occupied Crimea. The commander of the military unit there reportedly died in the attack Ukrainian Pravda. In addition, several Storm Shadow missiles are said to have damaged the air defense facility on Mount Ai-Petri.
Update from May 13, 3:57 p.m.: Federal Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Green Party) called for more support for Ukraine. During a speech at the Federal Academy for Security Policy, he said Germany “has not done enough.” dpa. Although Germany provided tremendous assistance in the defensive battle against Russia, the situation on the front shows that this is not enough.
A fighter jet launches an air alert throughout Ukraine
Update from May 13, 2:50 p.m.: The take-off of a Russian fighter plane triggered air raid warnings across Ukraine. It was reported that the plane may be a Russian MiG-31K Ukrainian Pravda. It is capable of launching the Ch-47M2 Kinschall hypersonic guided missile. Its range ranges between 500 and 2,000 kilometers, and it can hit distant targets inside Ukraine.
Updated from May 13, 1:49 p.m: Since the beginning of the war, many Russians have been arrested on charges of collaborating with Ukraine. Now a Russian court has sentenced five more Ukrainians to several years in prison on espionage charges. According to the FSB, they transferred information about the location and movements of Russian army units to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russian state media reported.
Zelensky appears to be drawing conclusions from the Kharkiv attack
Updated from May 13, 12:48 p.m: The Ukrainian army says it has replaced its commander on the front in Kharkiv. Accordingly, Mykhailo Zabrodsky became commander there from May 11. This was brought by the British guardian Quoted from Ukrainian Radio RBC Ukraine.
Updated from May 13, 12:01 p.m: Kiev admits that Russian forces are making gains in their attack on Kharkiv. „The enemy is currently achieving tactical success,” the Ukrainian General Staff said in its report on the situation that night.
The first report: Kiev / Moscow – Vladimir Putin continues to escalate his advances in the Ukrainian Kharkiv region. After intense fighting and Russia’s „tactical successes,” as the Ukrainian General Staff announced on Facebook on Monday, the fighting continues unabated.
In conversation with Ukrainian Pravda Spokesman for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Dmitry Lykhovy, said that the “enemy” was trying to advance towards the villages of Liptsy, Staritsya and Volchansk. Both sides will use artillery and mortars to attack opposing forces. Russia also carries out air strikes with aircraft.
According to an army spokesman, the situation in Kharkiv remains complex
The intensity of the fighting can be clearly seen in Russia’s casualties, published by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. About 1,740 Russian soldiers were killed during the past 24 hours. In addition, 31 tanks and 15 artillery systems were said to have been destroyed. The information cannot be independently verified.
Letchoi explained that despite the heavy losses, Russia was able to continue achieving tactical successes. The situation on the front is constantly changing and therefore very complex. However, Ukraine planned measures to „destroy the enemy who broke through our defenses,” the spokesman said. Ukrainian Pravda.
Army of Ukraine He wants „Russian Disrupting attack plans„
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed residents on Sunday morning with a report on the situation. He talked about a total of 12 Russian attacks in the Kharkiv region Mirror mentioned. He added that the Ukrainian army is currently focusing on “thwarting Russian attack plans.”
The president also reiterated the need for Western arms supplies. These things are crucial to the country’s defense. Zelensky stressed the importance of „supporting Ukraine’s resilience through timely delivery – truly timely delivery.” In the past, Ukraine has complained several times about reluctance to deliver weapons from the West.
Interactive cards In the Ukraine war
What territories did Russia occupy in the Ukraine war? Where could the Kremlin forces have been repulsed and where is the fighting currently taking place? Our current maps of the Ukraine frontline provide insight into the latest developments in Russia’s war against Ukraine. (Editing with agencies)
The head of Polish intelligence warns: Russia is preparing military operations against the eastern flank of NATO. Putin denies the attack plans.
WARSAW – Fears are growing of a Russian attack on NATO’s eastern flank. After the Baltic countries sounded the alarm for some time and feared for their security, Poland is now also drawing up the terrifying scenario of a Russian attack on NATO territory. Although a significant portion of the Russian armed forces usually stationed on NATO’s borders have currently been transferred to Ukraine, Russia intends to renew its army in order to… NATOThreatening borders while maintaining and expanding covert and hybrid operations.
Vladimir Putin Jaroslaw Strusek, head of Poland’s military counterintelligence service, told the Polish daily that troops were already preparing for a small operation against one of the Baltic states. Gazeta Pravna. He added that the Russian president is ready „to invade the famous border town of Narva on the Estonian-Russian border or to land on one of the Swedish islands.”
Putin: The attack on NATO territory is „complete nonsense”
Last March, Putin said… BBC Aggression on NATO territory was excluded. He added that the idea that his country, which has one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, Poland, would attack the Baltic states, all of which, unlike Ukraine, are members of NATO, is “complete nonsense.” But he warned that if Ukraine deployed Western F-16 fighter jets from airfields in other countries, they would become „legitimate targets wherever they are.”
NATO countries are currently scrambling to restore full defense capability after the Western military alliance looked back on a decade-long phase of low-intensity conflict. Kiev’s Western partners could not keep up with the demands of a modern all-out war, especially due to the lack of sufficient artillery and air defense resources.
The largest NATO exercise since the Cold War on the sidelines of the Ukrainian war
Strusek believes that the Kremlin’s imperial goals have already slowed somewhat. “What the West is doing together to support Ukraine shows that in the event of an attack on NATO, the Western reaction will be greater,” the intelligence chief said. The German federal government is also currently trying to send strong signals about the defense capacity of NATO and Europe.
“In an emergency, Germany will defend every centimeter of NATO territory,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said during a visit to Lithuania on Monday, May 6, as reported by Das newspaper. RND. The German Army participated in the largest NATO exercise since the end of the Cold War: Steadfast Defender. Germany wants to establish a brigade in Lithuania outside its territory for the first time by 2027. “An attack on you would be an attack on all of us,” Schulz told his fellow Lithuanians.
“War has returned to Europe” – SPD committed to a strong NATO
Defense Minister Boris Pistoros (SPD) also expressed his strong commitment to the Western Defense Alliance during his visit to the United States. “NATO is essential to our security and we do not take it for granted,” he said loudly. dpa. “We realize that times have changed again. War is back in Europe and the time for peace dividends is over. That’s why we’re doing our part. Germany will spend more money on defense this year than ever before in the history of the Bundeswehr.”
He pointed out that the 2% goal set by NATO will be achieved, „and we cannot stop there.” Within NATO, a growing number of members are calling for increased investments. For example, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron is vocal about NATO countries France Press agency Increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP. At the next NATO summit in July, it should be clear that all allies will soon meet the 2% target, according to previously published excerpts of Cameron’s speech scheduled for Thursday, May 9, at the National Cyber Security Center in London. He continues: „Then we have to quickly introduce 2.5% as a target.” (Lahema)
The head of Polish intelligence warns: Russia is preparing military operations against the eastern flank of NATO. Putin denies the attack plans.
WARSAW – Fears are growing of a Russian attack on NATO’s eastern flank. After the Baltic countries sounded the alarm for some time and feared for their security, Poland is now also drawing up the terrifying scenario of a Russian attack on NATO territory. Although a significant portion of the Russian armed forces usually stationed on NATO’s borders have currently been transferred to Ukraine, Russia intends to renew its army in order to… NATOThreatening borders while maintaining and expanding covert and hybrid operations.
Vladimir Putin Jaroslaw Strusek, head of Poland’s military counterintelligence service, told the Polish daily that troops were already preparing for a small operation against one of the Baltic states. Gazeta Pravna. He added that the Russian president is ready „to invade the famous border town of Narva on the Estonian-Russian border or to land on one of the Swedish islands.”
Putin: The attack on NATO territory is „complete nonsense”
Last March, Putin said… BBC Aggression on NATO territory was excluded. He added that the idea that his country, which has one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, Poland, would attack the Baltic states, all of which, unlike Ukraine, are members of NATO, is “complete nonsense.” But he warned that if Ukraine deployed Western F-16 fighter jets from airfields in other countries, they would become „legitimate targets wherever they are.”
NATO countries are currently scrambling to restore full defense capability after the Western military alliance looked back on a decade-long phase of low-intensity conflict. Kiev’s Western partners could not keep up with the demands of a modern all-out war, especially due to the lack of sufficient artillery and air defense resources.
The largest NATO exercise since the Cold War on the sidelines of the Ukrainian war
Strusek believes that the Kremlin’s imperial goals have already slowed somewhat. “What the West is doing together to support Ukraine shows that in the event of an attack on NATO, the Western reaction will be greater,” the intelligence chief said. The German federal government is also currently trying to send strong signals about the defense capacity of NATO and Europe.
“In an emergency, Germany will defend every centimeter of NATO territory,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said during a visit to Lithuania on Monday, May 6, as reported by Das newspaper. RND. The German Army participated in the largest NATO exercise since the end of the Cold War: Steadfast Defender. Germany wants to establish a brigade in Lithuania outside its territory for the first time by 2027. “An attack on you would be an attack on all of us,” Schulz told his fellow Lithuanians.
“War has returned to Europe” – SPD committed to a strong NATO
Defense Minister Boris Pistoros (SPD) also expressed his strong commitment to the Western Defense Alliance during his visit to the United States. “NATO is essential to our security and we do not take it for granted,” he said loudly. dpa. “We realize that times have changed again. War is back in Europe and the time for peace dividends is over. That’s why we’re doing our part. Germany will spend more money on defense this year than ever before in the history of the Bundeswehr.”
He pointed out that the 2% goal set by NATO will be achieved, „and we cannot stop there.” Within NATO, a growing number of members are calling for increased investments. For example, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron is vocal about NATO countries France Press agency Increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP. At the next NATO summit in July, it should be clear that all allies will soon meet the 2% target, according to previously published excerpts of Cameron’s speech scheduled for Thursday, May 9, at the National Cyber Security Center in London. He continues: „Then we have to quickly introduce 2.5% as a target.” (Lahema)
