France: Scuffles and arrests in Paris as thousands mark May Day

Dozens arrested in Paris where protesters set bins on fire and smashed the windows of a bank.

Hooded, black-clad demonstrators clashed with police in Paris as thousands of people joined traditional May Day protests across France to demand social and economic justice and voice their opposition to government plans to change unemployment benefits. Police arrested 34 people on Saturday in the capital, where rubbish bins were set on fire and the windows of a bank branch were smashed, momentarily delaying the march. Authorities also reported five arrests and 27 police officers injured in Lyon. But most of the dozens of marches across France passed off without incident. Trade unionists were joined by members of the Yellow Vest movement, which triggered a wave of anti-government protests three years ago, and by workers from sectors hit hard by pandemic restrictions such as culture.