Fuel shortage: what we know about the violent clashes between CRS and demonstrators in front of the Fos oil depot

Clashes caused three serious injuries among the CRS, Tuesday, March 21, in front of the Fos-sur-Mer oil depot in the Bouches-du-Rhône.

Incidents broke out on Tuesday March 21, at the end of the morning, in front of the Fos-sur-Mer oil depot, where the authorities carried out the first requisitions of staff on strike against the pension reform. This is what we know at this time about these clashes.

• Jets of projectiles against tear gas

Several hundred trade unionists, mainly from the CGT, had gathered in front of the depot.in support” to the requisitioned strikers, blocking one of the accesses to the site and lighting pallet fires. At the end of the morning, the protesters wanted to move towards another access, through which tank trucks were entering the depot. But the one -ci was protected by CRS and a tense face to face ensued, with exchanges of throwing projectiles and tear gas canisters which made the protesters retreat.At midday, this tense face to face broke out. continued.

• Two CRS taken to hospital

According to the police headquarters, three of the CRS on the spot were “seriously injured”, at least two of whom were transferred to Martigues hospital.

At the start of the day, the demonstrators headed for the Fos depot during snail operations, in particular aboard dozens of blue vehicles with the Enedis logo and adorned with banners protesting against the pension reform, such as “Macron your reform in your ass. Striking. No at 64“.

• A “challenge” for CGT 13

For the boss of the CGT13 these requisitions are unacceptable. Olivier Mateu pointed out in February that, during the dispute in the refineries in the fall over wages, the Bouches-du-Rhône had been “the only department where there was no requisition.”

After the use of article 49.3 in the National Assembly to adopt the pension reform, significant tensions had appeared in recent days in the supply of service stations in the Bouches-du-Rhône and throughout the South- East. Monday, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, 50% of the stations were short of at least one fuel and 37% completely dry. The Fos-sur-Mer depot supplies the Paca region and the east of the Occitanie region and also ships fuel by pipeline to the Lyon region.

(with AFP)