Police fired teargas in Paris and other cities as protesters turned out for May Day rallies across France on Monday amid anger over the passage of President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular pension reform. Interior ministry figures estimated the number of protesters at 782,000 nationwide; unions put the number much higher, at 2.3 million. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
- France saw another round of nationwide protests on May 1, with police firing teargas in Paris and other cities despite Macron's attempts to turn the page on the debate over pension reform.
- According to interior ministry figures, 291 people have been detained and at least 108 police officers injured.
- Macron insists the proposed changes, which include raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, were needed to reform a moribund system. But some of the government’s own experts have said the pension system is in relatively good shape and would likely return to a balanced budget even without reforms.
- Public anger over the proposed changes was compounded after the government used Article 49.3 – known as the "nuclear option" – to push the reform through parliament without a vote in March.
- While May 1 is marked around the world as a celebration of labour rights, this year's rallies tapped into broader frustrations as populations squeezed by inflation and demanding economic justice took to the streets across Europe and Asia.
- French police have been approved to use drones equipped with cameras for crowd monitoring at the protests. Rights groups filed a complaint against the move, saying the use of drones in this manner violates fundamental rights.
7:04pm: Protesters present 'united front' and renewed 'motivation' on May Day
Reporting from the streets of Paris where protests have taken place, FFRANCE 24 correspondent Liza Kaminov described the protests as "historic", adding that the turnout is much higher than that of May 1 last year.
Protesters showed a "united front" and renewed "motivation" in their fight against Macron's deeply unpopular pension reform, she said.
6:08pm: An estimated 782,000 protesters in France according to the interior ministry
An estimated 782,000 people took part in protests across France on Monday, according to figures published by the interior ministry. Figures from the Paris police department showed an estimated 112,000 protesters for Paris alone.
Estimates from France's CGT union put participation figures much higher, at 500,000 in Paris and 2.3 million nationwide.
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