Fresh clashes rock France as protests shift to water dispute

The violent scenes at Sainte-Soline in the southwest came after days of unrest over President Emmanuel Macron’s pensions reform

Several protesters and members of security forces were injured in Saturday’s confrontations at the banned protest

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French police run during a protest called by the collective “Bassines Non Merci” in Sainte-Soline, France on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:44am, 26 Mar 2023

French police again clashed with protesters on Saturday as campaigners in the southwest sought to stop the construction of giant water storage facilities, the latest flashpoint as social tensions erupt nationwide.

The violent scenes at Sainte-Soline came after days of unrest over President Emmanuel Macron’s pensions reform, which forced the cancellation of a visit by Britain’s King Charles.

The protest movement against the pension reform has turned into the biggest domestic crisis of Macron’s second mandate, with police and protesters clashing daily in Paris and other cities over the past week.

A placard reads “Stop privatising water” during a protest in Sainte-Soline, France, on Saturday. Photo: AFP

At Sainte-Soline, several protesters and members of security forces were injured in Saturday’s confrontations at the banned protest. Campaigners there are trying to stop the construction of giant water “basins” to irrigate crops, which they say will distort access to water amid drought conditions.

A long procession of activists set off late morning for the site, numbering at least 6,000 people according to local authorities – around 30,000 according to the organisers.

“While the country is rising up to defend pensions, we will simultaneously stand up to defend water,” said the organisers.

Once they arrived at the construction site, which was defended by the police and gendarmes, clashes quickly broke out between the more radical activists and the security forces, Agence France-Presse correspondents said.