May Day Protests in France: Pension Reform Sparks Clashes and Anger

French police clashed with black-clad anarchists during May Day rallies against President Emmanuel Macron's increase in the retirement age. Nearly 200 people were arrested on a day some 782,000 people took to the streets, according to the interior ministry. The reform has crystallised discontent against a president perceived by many as aloof and indifferent to their daily hardships. Macron last month raised the retirement age by two years to 64 despite multi-sector strikes, in a move that drove his popularity down to near the record lows seen during the "Yellow Vest" crisis of 2018-2019.