French police clash with black-clad anarchists during May Day rallies

Violence erupted in France yesterday. More than 100 police officers were injured when angry demonstrators took to the streets again to protest pension reforms.

Nearly one million people took part in the May Day demonstrations. Demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails and fireworks, torched building materials and smashed up bus stops. One police officer in Paris suffered serious burns from an explosive device.

Last month President Emanual Macron raised the retirement age by two years to age 64 despite multi-sector strikes.

Opinion polls show a large majority of French people oppose the higher retirement age. French pension payments are comfortably higher and begin earlier than most other countries.