Turmoil deepens in France as pension protests continue

France is ­preparing for further violent protests after Emmanuel Macron postponed King Charles III’s state visit.

Demonstrations against the French president’s pension plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 were expected this weekend in Brest, Montpellier, Nice and Dijon.

Up to 10,000 people gathered yesterday to take part in a protest in Sainte-Soline, central France, against a new water-storage facility for agricultural irrigation. Several police cars were set ablaze as clashes broke out at the site. Laurent Berger, head of the CFDT, France’s largest union, urged Macron to put the pension reforms on hold for six months to allow tensions to fade.

Macron had condemned violence on Friday which saw 441 police officers injured and 900 fires lit, while a human rights ­watchdog criticised the “excessive use of force” by police during protests. In Paris, refuse collectors opposed to the pension reforms went on strike, leaving the city’s streets piled with rubbish.

Macron said the state visit by King Charles was likely to be rescheduled for the start of summer.

Lord Ricketts, a former UK national security adviser, said the lavish Versailles dinner would have had “echoes” of the French revolution if it had gone ahead during the outcry at Macron’s decision to push back the national retirement age.

He said: “Much better that it should be postponed to a quieter time than it be overshadowed by a massive security situation and potentially awkward incidents.”

Sylvie Bermann, who served as Paris’s ambassador to Britain between 2014 and 2017, said: “It is a real frustration and I think until the last minute the president wanted to maintain the visit. But it was impossible, not only because of security but because it wouldn’t have been the best conditions.

“It is true the dinner in Versailles would not have given a good image while there is unrest in France.”

Macron was accused of being out of touch with the general public after television viewers spotted him removing his watch midway through an interview over his pension changes. Critics claimed the timepiece was worth £70,400. Others said the watch was £2,100 or less.

In a statement, the Élysée said: “The president didn’t remove his watch to hide it but because it was banging heavily against the table. The noise is clearly audible.”