France left at standstill as millions return to the streets to protest President Emmanuel Macron's plans to push back the retirement age to 64
Police used tear gas in Paris and some clashes also took place in the western city of Nantes, but the more than 260 union-organised rallies across the country were mostly peaceful.
Labour leaders had pledged to bring France "to a standstill" on the biggest day of action in a series of stoppages this year — a goal that proved beyond their reach judged by the busy roads of major cities. "The government has to take into account when there are so many people in the street, when they're having so much trouble explaining and passing their reform," CFDT union chief Laurent Berger said as she stood at the head of the Paris rally.
It appears unlikely that Tuesday's protests will influence Macron, 45, who has championed pension reform since coming to power in 2017 in order to tackle deficits forecast for the coming decades.
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