Protesters march across France against pension bill
STORY: Earlier in the day, the government rejected a new demand by unions to suspend and rethink the pension bill, which will delay retirement age by two years to 64, infuriating labor leaders who said the government must find a way out of the crisis.
The government said it was more than willing to talk to unions, but on other topics, and repeated it would stand firm on the pension front.
Macron, who promised to deliver pension reform in both of his presidential campaigns, says change is needed to keep the country's finances in balance. Unions and opposition parties say there are other ways to do that.
In Paris, some protesters walked along a railway track.
Clashes erupted between police and protesters on in the western French city of Nantes, while protests were peaceful in Nice on the southern coast.
Millions of people have been demonstrating and joining strike action since mid-January to show their opposition to the bill.
