The BBC reports that French police fired tear gas into crowds of protesters and 80 people across the country were arrested.
Bordeaux City Hall, the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, was also set on fire by protesters on the evening of March 23, but authorities quickly controlled the fire.
It is not yet determined who is responsible for causing this fire.
Protesters set fire in Paris to protest against pension increase law. Photo: Reuters
Figures from the French Interior Ministry show that about 119,000 people took to the streets in the capital Paris, while nationwide about more than one million people participated in protests on March 23.
In Paris, protests were mostly peaceful, with occasional clashes between police and masked rioters who smashed shops and set fire to streets, according to Reuters news agency.
Clashes also occurred in western cities such as Nantes, Rennes and Lorient.
Tens of thousands of workers also went on strike, blocking railways and oil refineries. In addition, according to the BBC, many teachers and workers at Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris) also stopped working.
Sanitation workers in Paris have been on strike since March 6.
Police used tear gas, water cannons, flash bangs and batons to disperse the protests, according to AP. Videos circulating on social media showed officers in body armor trying to restrain protesters.
RT (Russia) reported that at least one fire brigade unit "switched sides" and joined the protesters.
Firefighters “switch sides” to join protests in Paris on March 23. Photo: Reuters
Protests erupted when President Emmanuel Macron used special powers to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 from next year.
A wave of discontent among the French people erupted after President Emmanuel Macron instructed Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to activate Article 49.3 of the constitution to approve a law raising the retirement age of French workers without a vote in parliament .
President Macron said there were too many economic risks for the country if lawmakers voted against the bill.
Speaking on television on March 22, President Macron said his only mistake was “not convincing people” about the significance of pension reform, but insisted he would not back down. According to him, reform must be done, otherwise the French pension system will go bankrupt within the next few years.
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