Hundreds of thousands to continue strikes and protests in France

Fears of more violent clashes with police as demonstrations against Macron’s unpopular pensions policy to carry on

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take part in street protests and strikes across France on Tuesday amid fears of violent clashes with police, as demonstrations continue over Emmanuel Macron’s use of constitutional executive powers to push through an unpopular raise of the pension age.

The protest movement against raising the age from 62 to 64 is the biggest domestic crisis of Macron’s second term, with the strikes on Tuesday expected to affect refineries, bin collections, rail transport, air travel and schools. Authorities in Paris and several cities are braced for clashes between police and protesters.