Skip to content

In pictures: Rubbish and fires in French protests

King Charles has postponed his first state visit to France after protests over pension reform turned violent.

Huge numbers of people have taken part in demonstrations across France over legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Remon Haazen/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock Rubbish in a Paris street during a protest against pension reform.Remon Haazen/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
STEFANO RELLANDINI/Getty Images Firefighters checks rubbish after extinguishing a fire during a demonstration, a week after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris on March 23, 2023. - Some 1.089 million protesters took part in demonstrations in France on March 23, 2023, against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, the interior ministry said, with 119,000 marching in Paris aloneSTEFANO RELLANDINI/Getty Images

Refuse collectors have been on strike for over two weeks in several cities, with Paris seeing thousands of tonnes of uncollected rubbish on the streets.

YVES HERMAN/Reuters A woman stands next to burnt rubbish in a street the day after clashes during protests over French government's pension reform in Paris, France, March 24, 2023.YVES HERMAN/Reuters
YVES HERMAN/REUTERS A man walks past a burnt store and damages in a street the day after clashes during protests over French government's pension reform in Paris, France, March 24, 2023.YVES HERMAN/REUTERS

Some protesters set fire to the piles of rubbish on Thursday - the clean up began early Friday morning.

YVES HERMAN/reuters Employees clean up burnt garbage and damage in a street the day after clashes during protests over French government's pension reform in Paris, France, March 24, 2023.YVES HERMAN/reuters
YVES HERMAN/Rueters A view shows burnt rubbish and damage in a street the day after clashes during protests over French government's pension reform in Paris, France, March 24, 2023.YVES HERMAN/Rueters
YVES HERMAN/reuters A cyclist rides her bicycle past a burnt store and damage in a street the day after clashes during protests over French government's pension reform in Paris, France, March 24, 2023.YVES HERMAN/reuters

Demonstrations in central Paris were peaceful, but some groups smashed shop windows, burnt rubbish and clashed with riot police.

Lafargue Raphael/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock Protester hold a flare on the place de l opera during a demonstration, a week after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris on March 23, 2023.Lafargue Raphael/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock
Lafargue Raphael/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock Burning barricades on the place de l opera during a demonstration in Paris on March 23, 2023.Lafargue Raphael/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock
GONZALO FUENTES/Reuters Firefighters extinguish a fire during a demonstration, after the pension reform was adopted as the French Parliament rejected two motions of no-confidence against the government, in Paris, France, March 21, 2023.GONZALO FUENTES/Reuters
Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock BRAV-M (Brigade de Repression de l'Action Violente - Mobile) riot police officers run behind a burning barricade on March 23, 2023 in ParisSamuel Boivin/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
Lafargue Raphael/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock Protesters shield their eyes from tear gas during a demonstration, a week after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris on March 23, 2023.Lafargue Raphael/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock

In the city of Bordeaux, people gathered against the reform and chanted: "Macron, resign!"

Moritz Thibaud/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration, a week after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Bordeaux, south western France, on March 23, 2023.Moritz Thibaud/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock
Fabien Pallueau/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock Riot police arrest a person during the demonstration against pension reform took place in Bordeaux on Thursday, March 23, 2022. There were several clashes between the demonstrators and the police, and at the end of the demonstration, trash fires were setFabien Pallueau/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

A fire engulfed the front door of the Bordeaux town hall on Thursday evening.

Twitter Bookee0/via REUTERS People look at the Bordeaux town hall in flames during a demonstration as part of the ninth day of nationwide strikes and protests against the French government's pension reform, in Bordeaux, France, March 23, 2023, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video.Twitter Bookee0/via REUTERS

All photos subject to copyright