13 Arrested as Anti-Macron Activists Set Off Explosive Outside Marseille Police Station

At least thirteen anti-Macron activists were arrested on Monday afternoon in Marseille after an explosion was set off outside the doors of a local police station in which one officer was injured.

Thirteen people were arrested on Monday following an explosion that was set off outside a police department building in the 6th arrondissement of Marseille.

According to a report from French broadcaster BFMTV, a van pulled up outside of the police station in the early afternoon and dropped off a package containing explosive material as well as gas meters, a possible reference to the soaring cost of energy in the country. One police officer was said to be “slightly injured” in the blast.

Police attempted to stop the van, but the vehicle sped off, resulting in a police chase in the middle of the city, however, officers ultimately were able to stop the vehicle and detain those inside.

The thirteen people are believed to be connected to the energy worker branch of the CGT trade union federation that has been organizing anti-Macron protests and worker strikes in response to the move by the government to pass through a raise to the pension age with a constitutional loophole allowing it to be imposed without a vote in the National Assembly.

They were arrested for “participation in a group formed for the commission of violence, voluntary violence in meetings on law enforcement officers, and refusal to comply”.

A police spokeswoman said: “The prefect unreservedly condemns the irresponsibility of this action, which could have injured police officers and passers-by.”

According to the union, the gas meters in the package were not explosive in and of themselves, claiming that the blast was a result of “very large firecrackers”.

The past month has seen anti-Macron protests turn violent across France, with riots being fueled by garbage worker strikes which left thousands of tons of trash pile up on the streets of Paris and other cities, which in turn served as easy objects to set on fire by radical protesters.

In a notable instance, the historic doors of the town hall in Bordeaux were set ablaze by protesters last month, leaving the wood doors seriously damaged and the building charred. A total of five people were arrested in connection with the suspected arson attack.

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