Police were out in force in central Paris on Saturday as thousands of people protested against Emmanuel Macron’s sweeping reforms a year after he assumed the presidency, reports The Guardian.
About 2,000 members of the security forces, including riot police, were deployed as marchers gathered in warm spring sunshine in Opera square for a protest labelled a “party for Macron”, a tongue-in-cheek “celebration” of the 40-year-old centrist’s first anniversary in power.
The event began with a mass picnic, and smaller rallies took place in the southern cities of Toulouse and Bordeaux.
Organisers urged participants to attend in a party mood, but security was tight after cars and a McDonald’s restaurant were torched during the traditional May Day demonstrations in the capital.
Benjamin Griveaux, a government spokesman, expressed fears on Friday that the demonstration could turn violent.