France hit by strikes over plan to raise retirement age to 64

Nationwide stoppages and protests are first big test for Emmanuel Macron since his re-election

Hundreds of thousands of strikers were expected to march in street demonstrations across France on Thursday as transport, schools and refineries were hit by major industrial action against Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.

Marches began early in regional cities including Nantes and Nice, as riot police took position in central Paris ahead of a demonstration scheduled for the afternoon. Shopkeepers around the Place de la République boarded up windows and shopfronts after the authorities warned of a possibility of vandalism on the edge of the marches or black bloc-style tactics.