French couple enjoy glass of red wine as street burns behind them

A French couple have been spotted chatting over a glass of red wine al fresco while a bonfire burns in the street behind them.

The video, shared widely on social media, appears to show the romantic scene at the Place de la Victoire in Bordeaux during recent protests.

A man and woman look deep in conversation, only occasionally glancing at the burning mass when it burst and shoots out flaming projectiles.

They are later joined by a young woman at the table beside them, who seems more interested in checking her phone than the pandemonium happening along the street.

Bordeaux, in south-west France, was the scene of one of the most dramatic moments in the ongoing national protests over pension reform.

Furious demonstrators briefly set fire to the doors of the city hall, as crowds gasped and cheered.

It was not clear who was responsible for the fire, which was quickly put out by firefighters, but the Sud Ouest newspaper reports members of an unauthorised demonstration were behind it.

The city was also supposed to be visited by King Charles and Queen Camilla on their trip to France this month.

However, that trip was cancelled just a few days before it was due to take place, when it became clear the protests would cause significant disruption.

The dramatic demonstrations were triggered by President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to push through a bill raising the French retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote in parliament.

The move made an already sensitive topic even more controversial, and politicians in the National Assembly made their anger clear when they gathered to vote on motions of no confidence in the government.

Both motions failed, although one came within nine votes of passing – leading some MPs to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

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