May Day protests in Paris have erupted into violence as police met demonstrators with tear gas in the city’s Vavin neighbourhood, Euronews reports.
French police said it had made 165 arrests by early afternoon and had conducted more than 9,000 searches.
Heightened security has been put in place across Paris for this year’s demonstrations amid ongoing tension with the gilets jaunes movement, and climate protesting.
It’s feared that hooligans bent on violence in the French capital will join the “gilets jaunes”, as trade unionists, students and others turn out to mark International Workers’ Day.
Ça sbeule comme jamais. Le restaurant la coupoule est détruit. Les manifestants récupèrent les débris. Pierres et molotovs. Et la manif n’est pas encore partie. Si elle part ? #1erMai #MayDay pic.twitter.com/bfNQqofSCb
— Tomas Statius (@TomasStatius) May 1, 2019
President Emmanuel Macron’s recent promise of tax cuts and other reforms have been rejected in some quarters.
France’s second city of Lyon, where police fired tear gas after being hit by projectiles at Place Bellecour.
Nouvel accrochage lors de la #Manif du #1erMai à #Lyon. La police fait usage de gaz lacrymogènes après avoir été visée par des projectiles #BlackBlocs #Bellecour @lyonmag pic.twitter.com/0mEnqNy4gr
— Julien Damboise (@JDANDOU) May 1, 2019