Nationwide stoppages and protests are first big test for Emmanuel Macron since his re-election
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in street demonstrations across France as transport, schools and refineries were hit by significant industrial action against Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.
Police made arrests on the edges of the march in central Paris amid clashes with officers in the early afternoon. Paris police said 15 people were arrested before the Paris march, and 15 during it – over issues like the carrying of illegal weapons or throwing projectiles. Shopkeepers around the Place de la République boarded up windows and shopfronts after the authorities warned of a possibility of vandalism after the marches or black bloc-style tactics.
