No place for 'intimidation' in French democracy says government after protesters spoil Macron's night at the theatre

French democracy has no place for “intimidation” and “threats” warned France’s finance minister on Monday after police had to rescue President Emmanuel Macron from a night at the theatre when it was besieged by protesters.

The condemnation came as a largely public strike showed signs of dying down after a record six weeks and hardline French unions called on members to show "imagination" in venting opposition to pension reform.

Anti-government demonstrators on Friday night besieged the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, where the company led by Peter Brook, the British director, is based, after being alerted to the Macrons’ presence by social media posts.

Riot police prevented dozens of protesters from entering the theatre but Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte were briefly evacuated before returning and watching the end of The Fly, said their entourage.

Protesters were tipped off by a Leftist journalist called Taha Bouhafs, who called on anti-Macron militants to spoil his evening and even suggested throwing shoes at him, as Iraqi protesters once did to ex-American president George W Bush in 2008.

Mr Bouafs, who some questioned whether he could be considered a “journalist” given his “political” activism, was detained on charges of "participating in a group formed to commit violence or cause damage”.

He was released late Saturday night without being charged, a judge giving him the status of "assisted witnesses”. "

This is an unprecedented violation of freedom of information and the rights of journalists, at the request of the Elysee Palace," said his lawyer Me Alimi.

MPs from across the political spectrum - bar the far-Left - condemned what many described as  “harassment” of the Macrons.

Commenting on the incident on Monday, Bruno Le Maire said: “Intimidation and threats have no place in a democracy”.

He also called on protesters to “return to reason” after they broke into the headquarters of the moderate CFDT union, which supports the bulk of the Macron pension reform. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion on pension reform as on any other issue but it is in debate and discussion, and never violence, that democracy advances,” he said.

The hardline CGT and Sud-Rail unions have vowed to pursue the strike until the government ditches its reform plans.

However, after six weeks of blockages, the number of workers still striking has dropped and Paris’ metro returned to near normal on Monday, as did the national rail service, SNCF.

That has led CGT leader Philippe Martinez to call for more “imaginative” and targeted means of disruption.

The Louvre was blockaded last Friday while striking lawyers have in recent days staged “flash mob” demos, throwing their robes on the floor, and teachers have thrown textbooks over school fences in protest.

After 46 days of conflict - the longest since 1968 - “the main wave of traditional mobilisation and rolling strikes is dying down,” said Stéphane Sirot, a French historian of social movements.

“Yet discontent remains rife. The government hasn’t seen the end of this social movement.”