Thousands of people took to the streets of French cities, in answer to a call from trade union federations, to press demands for higher wages and oppose a pension reform that President Emmanuel Macron wants to implement.
Organisers said 40,000 people took part in the demonstration in Paris. According to Philippe Martinez, Secretary-General of the CGT federation, this was "a first warning to the government and employers."
Several left-wing politicians joined the protest.
There were also demonstrations in Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse and several smaller cities. However, there were no large crowds of people.
Some education and public transport workers stayed away from work to participate in the protest, which, in Paris, prevented tourists from visiting the Eiffel Tower.
