PARIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of masked and hooded anarchists smashed shop windows, torched cars and hurled cobblestones at riot police on Tuesday, hijacking a May Day rally by labour unions against President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms.

Riot police used teargas and water cannon to disperse the protesters. Paris police chief Michel Delpuech said more than 200 demonstrators had been arrested and four people were lightly injured in the clashes, including a police officer.

“I condemn with absolute firmness the violence that took place today and derailed the May Day processions,” tweeted Macron, who was on a visit to Australia.

“Everything will be done so that the perpetrators are identified and held responsible for their actions.”

Authorities said around 1,200 protesters, many garbed in black, had turned up on the sidelines of the annual May Day demonstration. The protesters were from far-left anarchist groups known as Black Blocs, police said.

Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticised the protesters for covering their faces. “When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked,” he said. “Those who wear hoods are the enemies of democracy.”

Chanting anti-fascist slogans and waving Soviet flags and anti-government banners, the protesters smashed windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonalds restaurant near the Austerlitz train station in eastern Paris.

Tear gas floats around masked protesters during clashes with French CRS riot police at the May Day labour union rally in Paris, France, May 1, 2018. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

They also ransacked shops and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls before eventually being dispersed by police.

AVOIDING CASUALTIES

David Le Bars, a police union official, told BFM TV that security services had decided to let the protesters smash things rather than engage them to avoid casualties on either side that could exacerbate tensions.

“They came to hit capitalist symbols and burn cops. When you come with Molotov cocktails, it’s to burn cops,” he said, citing clashes on May 1 last year in which one police officer was seriously burnt.

Unions put the number of peaceful protesters at Tuesday’s main May Day rally in Paris at about 55,000, though police put it at around 20,000. The numbers were relatively small compared to other recent demonstrations.

Police said the Black Blocs had mixed into a smaller demonstration of around 14,500 people which took place alongside the official union rally.

Tuesday’s clashes come amid mounting union discontent with Macron’s plans to reboot France’s economy and spur jobs growth by loosening labour regulations.

Slideshow (16 Images)

Under a union campaign to foil Macron’s reforms, railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes aimed at halting a planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF.

Speaking in Australia earlier on Tuesday Macron, a former investment banker who swept to power a year ago, reiterated that he would not back down on his reform agenda.

Opposition conservative and far-right politicians accused Macron’s government of being insufficiently prepared for the violent protests and criticised it for not cracking down more heavily on anarchists.</s>Paris May Day rally: Riot police use teargas, water cannon against anarchists

French riot police have used water cannon and teargas on hundreds of hooded protesters who smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs at the start of an annual May Day rally in Paris.

Police had warned of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a "revolutionary day".

Authorities said some 1,200 hooded and masked protesters dressed in black had turned up on the sidelines of the annual planned demonstration by labour unions.

More than 200 people were arrested, the head of Paris' police department, Michel Delpuech, told a news conference.

The protesters smashed the windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonalds restaurant near the Austerlitz station in eastern Paris.

They also ransacked shops, torched cars and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb condemned the violence and said everything was being done to arrest the culprits.

Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticised the protesters for covering up their faces.

"When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked," he said.

The protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans, waved Soviet flags and anti-government banners and threw firecrackers. Some started to erect barricades.

President Emmanuel Macron, elected last May on a promise to shake up France's economy and spur jobs growth, is locked in a battle with the trade unions over his plans to liberalise labour regulations.

Railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the Government's planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF.

Discontent with Mr Macron's economic policies has spread beyond the railways and the May Day protests were intended to send a message of defiance to the former investment banker, who is currently on a trip to Australia.

Earlier on Tuesday Mr Macron reiterated that he would not back down on his reform agenda.

Labour unions put the number of peaceful protesters at Tuesday's main May Day rally at about 55,000, though police put it a just 20,000.

The numbers were relatively small compared to other recent demonstrations.</s>French police have arrested more than 200 people and used water cannon and teargas against masked protesters who smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs after a planned peaceful May Day rally by labour unions. 



The clashes came against a backdrop of union discontent with President Emmanuel Macron over his plans to stimulate France’s economy and spur jobs growth by loosening labour regulations. 



Riot police in Paris had warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a “Revolutionary Day”. 



Authorities said around 1,200 masked and hooded protesters dressed in black turned up on the sidelines of the annual May Day demonstration by labour unions. 



More than 200 anarchists were arrested and four people, including a police officer, were lightly wounded in the ensuing disturbances, Paris police chief Michel Delpuech told a news conference. 



Protesters smashed windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonald’s restaurant near the Austerlitz train station in eastern Paris. They also ransacked shops, torched cars and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls before eventually being dispersed by police. 



Gérard Collomb, the interior minister, condemned the violence and said everything was being done to apprehend the culprits. 



Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticised the protesters for covering their faces. “When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked,” he said. “Those who wear hoods are the enemies of democracy.” 



The protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans, waved old Soviet flags and anti-government banners and threw firecrackers. Some started to erect barricades. 



David Le Bars, a police union official, told BFM TV that security services had opted to let the protesters smash things rather than engage them to avoid casualties on either side that could exacerbate tensions. 



“They came to hit capitalist symbols and burn cops. When you come with Molotov cocktails, it’s to burn cops,” he said, pointing to clashes on 1 May last year that saw one police officer seriously burnt.

Under a union campaign to foil Macron’s economic reforms, railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes against a planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF. 



Discontent over Macron’s policies has spread beyond the railways and the May Day protests were intended to send a message of defiance to the former investment banker, who is currently on a trip to Australia. 



Earlier on Tuesday, Macron reiterated that he would not back down on his reform agenda. 



Unions put the number of peaceful protesters at the main rally in Paris at about 55,000, though police put it at around 20,000. The numbers were relatively small compared with other recent demonstrations. 



Police said the Black Blocs had mixed into a second rally of 14,500 people set up alongside the official union movement. 



Opposition conservative and far-right politicians accused Macron’s government of being insufficiently prepared for the violent protests and criticised it for not cracking down more heavily on anarchists. 



Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, said he believed far-right groups were responsible for the violence.</s>PARIS, May 1 (Reuters) - Hundreds of hooded protesters held up an annual May Day demonstration in eastern Paris on Tuesday, with some smashing the windows of a McDonald’s restaurant and hurling petrol bombs inside, Reuters television images showed.

French police warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media for a “Revolutionary Day”.

Authorities said some 1,200 hooded and masked protesters had turned up on the sidelines of Tuesday’s planned demonstration by labour unions.

Images also showed the smashed windows of a Renault garage on a road near the Austerlitz station and a construction vehicle in flames.

The protesters moved towards riot police chanting anti-fascist slogans, waving Soviet flags and anti-government banners and throwing firecrackers. Some started to build barricades. The police used water cannon against some of the protesters.

President Emmanuel Macron, elected last May on a promise to shake up France’s creaking economy and spur jobs growth, is locked in a battle with the trade unions over his plans to liberalise labour regulations.

Railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the government’s planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF. (Reporting by John Irish Editing by Gareth Jones)</s>PARIS (Reuters) - French riot police used water cannon and teargas on Tuesday against hundreds of hooded protesters after they smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs at the start of an annual May Day rally in Paris.

Police had warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a “Revolutionary Day”.

Authorities said some 1,200 hooded and masked protesters dressed in black had turned up on the sidelines of the annual planned demonstration by labor unions.

The protesters smashed the windows of several businesses, including a Renault garage and a McDonalds restaurant on a road near the Austerlitz station in eastern Paris and they set fire to a construction vehicle.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb condemned the violence and said everything was being done to arrest the culprits.

The protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans, waved Soviet flags and anti-government banners and threw firecrackers. Some started to erect barricades.

President Emmanuel Macron, elected last May on a promise to shake up France’s economy and spur jobs growth, is locked in a battle with the trade unions over his plans to liberalize labor regulations.

Railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the government’s planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF.</s>PARIS (Reuters) - French riot police used water cannon and teargas on Tuesday against hundreds of hooded protesters after they smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs at the start of an annual May Day rally in Paris.

Police had warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a “Revolutionary Day”.

Authorities said some 1,200 hooded and masked protesters dressed in black had turned up on the sidelines of the annual planned demonstration by labour unions. More than 200 anarchists were arrested, the head of Paris’ police department, Michel Delpuech, told a news conference.

The protesters smashed the windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonalds restaurant near the Austerlitz station in eastern Paris. They also ransacked shops, torched cars and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb condemned the violence and said everything was being done to arrest the culprits.

Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticised the protesters for covering up their faces.

“When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked,” he said. “Those who wear hoods are the enemies of democracy.”

The protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans, waved Soviet flags and anti-government banners and threw firecrackers. Some started to erect barricades.

President Emmanuel Macron, elected last May on a promise to shake up France’s economy and spur jobs growth, is locked in a battle with the trade unions over his plans to liberalise labour regulations.

Railway staff have begun three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the government’s planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF.

Discontent with Macron’s economic policies has spread beyond the railways and the May Day protests were intended to send a message of defiance to the former investment banker, who is currently on a trip to Australia.

Earlier on Tuesday Macron reiterated that he would not back down on his reform agenda.

Labour unions put the number of peaceful protesters at Tuesday’s main May Day rally at about 55,000, though police put it a just 20,000. The numbers were relatively small compared to other recent demonstrations.

Opposition conservative and far-right politicians accused Macron’s government of being insufficiently prepared for the violent protests and criticised it for not cracking down more heavily on far-left anarchist groups.

The leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, said he believed far-right groups were responsible for the violence.</s>Nearly 300 protesters were arrested Tuesday after May Day riots in central Paris, where hooded youths torched a McDonald's restaurant and several vehicles during a march against President Emmanuel Macron's public sector reforms.

Shouting "Rise up, Paris" and "Everyone hates the police", around 1,200 people in black jackets and face masks joined the traditional May 1 union-led demonstration for workers' rights, according to a count by Paris police.

After trying to hold up the march a group of protesters ran amok along the route, destroying a McDonald's restaurant near Austerlitz station, east of the city centre, and setting it ablaze.

They also torched vehicles at a car dealership, along with a mechanical digger and a scooter, leaving a trail of destruction and plumes of dark smoke billowing into the air.

The worst unrest in months in Paris comes at a time of heightened tensions over Macron's reform of the public sector and follows a showdown between police and anti-capitalist squatters at a sprawling commune in western France.

The police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators.

On Tuesday night 102 people remained in custody out of 276 who were arrested, police said, adding: "31 businesses were damaged, of which two were burned, 6 vehicles were burned and 10 others damaged."

Macron condemned the violence, posting on Twitter during his trip to Australia: "Everything will be done so that the perpetrators are identified and held responsible for their actions."

He added the demonstrations would be treated with "absolute firmness".</s>A group of masked anarchists dressed mostly in black clothing hijacked a May Day rally in Paris on Tuesday, torching a vehicle, a McDonald’s, looting stores, and throwing cobble stones at riot police, according to Reuters.

About 1,200 protesters from the far-left anarchist groups known as Black Blocs took over the rally, which was organized by labor unions protesting President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms, Reuters reported.

Macron has been trying to cut jobs and retirement benefits in the public sector, such as SNCF railway and Air France, among other measures.

One protest in March saw hundreds of thousands of protesters take to the streets across France over his proposed reforms.

Here are some of the crazy pictures from Tuesday:

The rally appeared to have started peacefully.

The large sign above reads: “Students, Employees. Everyone in the Street. General Strike.”

The rally was organized in opposition to Macron’s economic reforms.

Symbolized here — but it later erupted.

Protesters smashed the windows at a McDonald’s near the Austerlitz Metro station.

And reportedly threw one or more Molotov cocktails inside.

They also overturned and lit a car on fire near a Renault garage …

… which appeared to have burned for awhile …

… long enough for this man to pose in front of it with a beer.

Riot police formed a barrier and fired tear gas at the protesters.

But they didn’t seem to care, at least at first.

They formed their own barricade.

And threw colored-smoke bombs at the police.

Police eventually broke it up, arresting 200 people. Four people, including one officer, received minor injuries.</s>Nearly 300 protesters were arrested Tuesday after May Day riots in central Paris, where hooded youths torched a McDonald's restaurant and several vehicles during a march against President Emmanuel Macron's public sector reforms.

[PARIS] Nearly 300 protesters were arrested Tuesday after May Day riots in central Paris, where hooded youths torched a McDonald's restaurant and several vehicles during a march against President Emmanuel Macron's public sector reforms.

Shouting "Rise up, Paris" and "Everyone hates the police", around 1,200 people in black jackets and face masks joined the traditional May 1 union-led demonstration for workers' rights, according to a count by Paris police.

After trying to hold up the march a group of protesters ran amok along the route, destroying a McDonald's restaurant near Austerlitz station, east of the city centre, and setting it ablaze.

They also torched vehicles at a car dealership, along with a mechanical digger and a scooter, leaving a trail of destruction and plumes of dark smoke billowing into the air.

The worst unrest in months in Paris comes at a time of heightened tensions over Mr Macron's reform of the public sector and follows a showdown between police and anti-capitalist squatters at a sprawling commune in western France.

The police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators.

On Tuesday night 102 people remained in custody out of 276 who were arrested, police said, adding: "31 businesses were damaged, of which two were burned, 6 vehicles were burned and 10 others damaged."

Mr Macron condemned the violence, posting on Twitter during his trip to Australia: "Everything will be done so that the perpetrators are identified and held responsible for their actions." He added the demonstrations would be treated with "absolute firmness".

The police had warned of the risk of extremist groups using May Day to set up a rematch of the clashes seen during demonstrations last year over Macron's labour reforms and at an anti-capitalist camp in western France that was demolished by police earlier this month.

"Macron makes us mad," read a banner held by one masked demonstrator.

"We're tired of this capitalist system that destroys everything and of brutal police repression of all those who oppose it," a 19-year-old student who was part of the group told AFP.

The scenes of looting and destruction overshadowed the May Day march, which drew between 20,000 and 55,000 peaceful protesters according to police and union estimates.

Countrywide, around 143,000 people took part in labour marches, according to government estimates, up slightly on 2017.

Trade unions and students' unions have been trying to rally the French against Mr Macron's shake-up of indebted state rail operator SNCF and access to public universities, which they see as part of a rollback of France's cherished public service.

Polls show the French supporting those reforms but being more critical of Macron's fiscal policy, seen as favouring the wealthy over the working and middle classes.

"Macron is the president of the rich," Genevieve Durand, a retired public servant who took part in a march in the central city of Clermont-Ferrand, told AFP, echoing a label that has clung to the centrist leader.

The energetic 40-year-old, who vowed during campaigning to make France more competitive, has insisted he will not budge from his course.

"I'm doing what I said I would," he said during a recent television interview to mark the first anniversary of his election on May 7.</s>Nearly 300 protesters were arrested after May Day riots in central Paris, where hooded youths torched a McDonald’s restaurant and several vehicles during a march against President Emmanuel Macron’s public sector reforms. Shouting “Rise up, Paris” and “Everyone hates the police”, around 1,200 people in black jackets and face masks yesterday joined the traditional May 1 union-led demonstration for workers’ rights, according to a count by Paris police. After trying to hold up the march a group of protesters ran amok along the route, destroying a McDonald’s restaurant near Austerlitz station, east of the city centre, and setting it ablaze. They also torched vehicles at a car dealership, along with a mechanical digger and a scooter, leaving a trail of destruction and plumes of dark smoke billowing into the air.

The worst unrest in months in Paris comes at a time of heightened tensions over Macron’s reform of the public sector and follows a showdown between police and anti-capitalist squatters at a sprawling commune in western France. The police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators. Last night 102 people remained in custody out of 276 who were arrested, police said, adding: “31 businesses were damaged, of which two were burned, 6 vehicles were burned and 10 others damaged.” Macron condemned the violence, posting on Twitter during his trip to Australia: “Everything will be done so that the perpetrators are identified and held responsible for their actions.” He added the demonstrations would be treated with “absolute firmness”.

The police had warned of the risk of extremist groups using May Day to set up a rematch of the clashes seen during demonstrations last year over Macron’s labour reforms and at an anti-capitalist camp in western France that was demolished by police earlier this month. “Macron makes us mad,” read a banner held by one masked demonstrator. “We’re tired of this capitalist system that destroys everything and of brutal police repression of all those who oppose it,” a 19-year-old student who was part of the group told AFP.

The scenes of looting and destruction overshadowed the May Day march, which drew between 20,000 and 55,000 peaceful protesters according to police and union estimates. Countrywide, around 143,000 people took part in labour marches, according to government estimates, up slightly on 2017. Trade unions and students’ unions have been trying to rally the French against Macron’s shake-up of indebted state rail operator SNCF and access to public universities, which they see as part of a rollback of France’s cherished public service.
Far-left anarchists clash with riot police in central Paris, France. Several businesses are looted and set on fire, including a McDonald's restaurant and Renault garage. Hundreds are arrested.