France: Protestors clash with police over pension reform

PARIS, FRANCE - DECEMBER 05: A clash between French police and demonstrators, who protested against President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension plans, took place nationwide on Thursday, according to local media. Nearly 200,000 people took part in the protests where clashes between with police, who used smoke bombs to disperse protestors, occurred. Police intervened in the demonstrations, with protestors setting fire to a cafe, traffic lights and electric motorcycles in Paris. According to the workers' unions, the strike will continue until Monday, with local media reporting that a total of 70 people have been arrested so far. Some 20% of flights have already been cancelled. In a Twitter post, the Paris Police Department said that the police and gendarmerie conducted 6,476 checks and arrested 65 people. The Gare du Nord, one of the stations of the SNCF railway network in Paris, was almost empty in the morning, according to France 24 broadcaster. Protesters, however, started to come at the Gare du Nord in the afternoon to attend the main march to Place de la Nation square. (Footage by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)