French police said they arrested 45 people in Paris during the traditional May Day protests, and 12 police officers were injured, even though the demonstrations were much more moderate than last year's, notes Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Police riot police used tear gas and batons to disperse some of the demonstrators. Police put the number of protesters in the French capital at around 18,000, although the left-wing General Confederation of Labor put the figure at around 50,000.
Protests were mainly directed against the cost of living and changes to unemployment benefits, although some also waved Palestinian flags in solidarity with Gazans, Reuters notes.
Police said a total of around 121,000 protesters took part in May Day rallies across France, while the OKT union put the figure at 200,000. Both figures are well below the more than two million people the union says took part in May Day protests in 2023, against the backdrop of strong opposition to the then-discussed pension reform.