Hundreds of French workers stormed the Paris headquarters of luxury group LVMH as France was once again engulfed in riots over President Emmanuel Macron’s hated pension reforms.
Protesters called on the wealthy to contribute more to funding the state pension just days after LVMH chief Bernard Arnault dethroned Elon Musk as the richest man in the world with his net worth of more than £40bn ($50bn) to £168 billion ($211 billion). ).
The French company, which owns Louis Vuitton, Dior and Tiffany & Co, has benefited from a resurgence in demand for luxury goods following the pandemic. most valuable company.
More than 100 protesters gathered in the building’s wood-clad entrance hall on exclusive Avenue Montaigne before climbing an escalator to the upper floors, while others filled the street with flags from the railway workers’ union Sud Rail.
Footage showed protesters storming the LVMH headquarters armed with red flares and flags as they pushed their way through the large glass doors and filled the building.
Hundreds of French workers have stormed the Paris headquarters of luxury group LVMH
More than 100 demonstrators gathered in the wood-clad entrance hall of the building on the exclusive Avenue Montaigne
Footage posted to social media showed protesters storming LVMH headquarters armed with red flares and flags
It comes just days after LVMH chief Bernard Arnault (pictured) dethroned Elon Musk as the richest man in the world
“If you’re looking for money to fund pensions, get it out of the pockets of billionaires,” said Fabien Villedieu, a representative of the Sud Rail union, stressing that the protest was “symbolic and peaceful.”
Billionaire Bernard Arnault has been a frequent target in slogans and chants during protests in France, thanks in part to his company’s post-pandemic profits.
He lives in a beautiful 150-year-old chateau in the northwest of Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, France, owned by the billionaire’s family since 1998, while also owning a beautiful home in the ultra-prestigious enclave of Les Parcs de Saint-Tropez . .
The demonstration comes after LVMH also posted a 17 per cent increase in sales to £18.5 billion over the three months to the end of March – more than double the 8 per cent increase in sales expected by analysts.
Today’s latest protest adds to the ongoing strikes and marches that have gripped Paris since mid-January in response to Emmanuel Macron’s plans to raise the statutory retirement age without a parliamentary vote.
Today, thousands of protesters once again took to the streets in France as unions called for street demonstrations a day before the Constitutional Council ruled on the legality of the bill that would raise the retirement age by two years to 64.
The government says it will be necessary for most workers to raise the retirement age to balance the pension budget for years to come.
However, the passionate unions, showing no signs of backing down, say the money can be found elsewhere.
Earlier today, firefighters were seen tackling a burning white Mercedes in the middle of Rennes, the capital of Brittany, in northwestern France.
Thick plumes of smoke rose into the air as blazing flames ripped through the luxury car.
Meanwhile, in Paris, staggering photos showed riot police chasing protesters through the streets on another day when the capital was brought to a standstill.
Thousands of protesters gathered in the streets of France ahead of tomorrow’s ruling on whether Macron’s decision to push through his retirement plans without a parliamentary vote was legal. In the photo: protesters in Bordeaux
Passionate unions, showing no signs of backing down, say the money could be found in ways other than raising the retirement age. Pictured: Riot police clear protesters in Paris
French gendarmes have been mobilized in their thousands to face the ongoing strikes
A white Mercedes was set on fire today during a demonstration in Rennes, in northwestern France
Firefighters had to tackle the burning Mercedes as thick streams of smoke rose into the air
The damaged facade of a Lidl supermarket is defaced with graffiti reading ‘Lidl, too expensive’ during a demonstration in Rennes
Just two weeks ago, French officials braced for the largest security operation in the country’s recent history, as more than a million people took part in marches.
Gérald Darmanin, the country’s interior minister, said the country was ready for “fire and blood” as he mobilized tens of thousands of police officers.
Although the number of people taking to the streets has declined, hundreds of thousands of people are still on the streets.
Shocking footage from Paris has exposed widespread violence, with uncollected rubbish being set on fire and tear gas creating a constant fog in the Parisian sky.
Tomorrow, France’s Constitutional Council will decide whether Macron’s decision to push through his retirement plans without a parliamentary vote was legal.
The president, who has so far declined talks with unions, has agreed to discuss the ongoing conflict following the ruling.
Macron was interrupted and harassed by protesters on Tuesday when he delivered a keynote speech on European sovereignty in The Hague during a state visit to the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, yesterday another man was heard shouting: ‘We’re here! We are here!’ as he charged at Mr Macron before being tackled to the ground at the University of Amsterdam.