France gripped by protests, strikes against pension plan

Reform would raise retirement age for most to 64, increase years needed for full pension

PARIS - More than a million people marched in France on Thursday to protest against pension reforms, with some demonstrators clashing with police in Paris as strikes disrupted public transport, schools and much of the civil service.

The Interior Ministry put the total number of protesters marching against President Emmanuel Macron's plan to extend the retirement age at 1.2 million, including 80,000 in Paris.

The hard-left CGT union said there had been more than two million people at protests across France, and 400,000 in the capital alone.

Another day of action is planned for Jan 31.

Around the Bastille area of Paris, some demonstrators hurled bottles, bins and smoke grenades at the police, who responded with tear gas and charged to disperse the troublemakers.

As the march wound down in the evening, groups of young protesters also clashed with security forces at the vast Nation plaza in eastern Paris, setting fire to several bicycles and smashing bus stops.

Police said 44 people were arrested on weapons or violence charges, mostly from among the radical "Black Blocs" group, who wore masks, helmets and black clothes.

Officers managed to split off the group, who numbered around a thousand, from the main demonstration.

Seventeen people were also arrested in Lyon, where 23,000 people protested, according to the authorities.