Anti-pension reforms protests: Police fire tear gas at protesters in France
Story highlights
The protests, now in their 29th day, are the longest since 1968.
In the latest confrontation between demonstrators and authorities in France, police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd as protests over pension reforms continue in Paris.
The protests, now in their 29th day, are the longest since 1968.
Video footage from a BFM television reporter published on Twitter showed police firing tear gas into a crowd at the entrance to the bus depot.
The hardline CGT union has called for more strikes this month after President Emmanuel Macron promised to push through his pension reforms.
Macron said in a New Year's Eve address that he expected his government to reach a compromise quickly with unions on the reforms, but without departing from principles laid out by ministers.
The next round of talks between the government and the union leaders is scheduled for January 7 and the fear is that the transport impasse will continue well into the New Year.
The French government has been adamant on pushing ahead with the reform.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said that 42 separate state-funded pension plans will be combined into a single points-based system.
(With inputs from agencies)