Retirement Protests in France Spark Controversy and Government Response

Paris police have banned public gatherings near important government sites to quell protests against France's plan to raise the state pension age by two years without a vote. Despite the ban, protests continued in the shopping area Les Halles in the center of Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to push through the new legislation using Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows him to pass a law without a parliamentary vote. The protests have hit a number of vital industries, including refineries, trash collection, and railways. Over 300 people have been arrested nationwide, with 258 of them in the area around the national assembly over recent days.