A MARCH by French parliamentarians on the Elysee Palace today continues the protests against the unpopular plans by President Emmanuel Macron to raise the retirement age in the country by two years to 64.

The strikes and protests, which began in January, have seen millions of people out on the streets and thousands of rallies taking place across the country.

Protests have intensified in recent weeks after President Macron used special powers to have the legislation forced through the National Assembly without a vote — and mobilisations have been met with savage police violence.

A man in Paris lost a testicle to an officer’s club, and a police grenade took the thumb of a woman in Rouen. A railroad worker hit by grenade fragments lost an eye.

“Where is your humanity?” a woman shouted at officers who knocked an apparently homeless man to the ground in Paris, kicked him and used vulgar language while ordering him to get up and go. 

In a video posted on Twitter, another passerby helped the man to his feet at the scene last month near the Place de la Bastille.

Student Jonas Cardoso was among more than 100 people detained during a March 23 protest in Paris.

“I spent hours in a cell for four people with nine other protesters. I slept on the floor,” he told reporters. 

Mr Cardoso denied any wrongdoing and was released without charges.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin claimed last week there was “no police violence,” but condemned “individual acts” of officers who use disproportionate force. 

“There are troublemakers, often extreme left, who want to take down the state and kill police and ultimately take over the institutions,” Mr Darmanin said after a protest in March.

One feature of the opposition has been the solidarity amongst unions and left parties.

Communist Party general secretary Fabien Roussel believes it is now time to strengthen the forces on the left by moving beyond the socialist and ecological alliance known as Nupes, which he believes to be “outdated.”

Mr Roussel said today: “We must gather beyond the Nupes. We need to talk to the whole left.”

Unions are planning an 11th round of mass demonstrations on Thursday.