French protesters set fire to President Macron's favorite restaurant amid pension protests

In the midst of the nationwide protests in France against the recent pension reforms, protesters staging protests across the country have set fire to French President Emmanuel Macron's favourite Paris restaurant. According to Russia Today, the protesters protesting against the reforms pushed by the Macron administration set fire to a restaurant named La Rotonde. The incident took place on Thursday when 300 rioters clashed with the police outside the posh eatery which is located at the Boulevard du Montparnasse in Paris. The European nation has been engulfed in a raging protest against the highly contentious pension reform. One of the problematic aspects of the reform is the fact that the Macron administration is planning to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. 

The protest started turning violent after the French President overrode the authorities of the French National Assembly to vote on the Bill. While Macron and his cabinet managed to survive the no-confidence motion which was passed against him, the news of Macron using his special powers turned the protests violent. According to Russia Today, stones, bottles and flares were tossed at the security forces. This ruckus ultimately led to the branded red awnings of Macron’s favourite restaurant catching fire. However, a major accident was averted after the firefighters reported the location and prevented the flames to spread further.  

Macron’s love for the restaurant

According to Russia Today, Macron chose the famous La Rotonde to celebrate his victory in the French Presidential elections back in 2017. The restaurant was also the hotspot for the French leader to meet with several political delegations. Meanwhile, Macron’s opposition has used the restaurant to target the French President and often called Macron, “the president of the rich”. This is not the first time, the restaurant which was opened in 1903, became a target of protesters. In January 2020, protestors belonging to the “Yellow Vests protest movement,” was arrested on suspicion that they set fire to the restaurant’s terrace. The Thursday incident also took place, when the nation marked the eleventh day of nationwide protests. According to the French Interior Ministry, around 57,000 people marched and rallied in France’s national capital. On the eleventh day, protesters also disrupted traffic at Paris’s main airport and gathered in different cities to continue with the protests. It is important to note that the constitutional council is still reviewing the contentious reform introduced by the Macron administration.