French police arrested over 200 people and used water cannon and teargas on Tuesday against masked protesters who smashed shop windows and hurled petrol bombs, hijacking a planned peaceful May Day rally by labor unions, Reuters reported.
The clashes came against a backdrop of union discontent with President Emmanuel Macron over his plans to stimulate France’s economy and spur jobs growth by loosening labor regulations.
Riot police in Paris had warned on Monday of possible clashes with far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, after a call on social media to make Tuesday a “Revolutionary Day”.
Authorities said around 1,200 masked and hooded protesters garbed in black turned up on the sidelines of the annual May Day demonstration by labor unions.
More than 200 anarchists were arrested and four people, including a police officer, were lightly wounded in the ensuing disturbances, Paris police chief Michel Delpuech told a news conference.
Protesters smashed windows of businesses, including a Renault garage and McDonalds restaurant near the Austerlitz train station in eastern Paris. They also ransacked shops, torched cars and scrawled anti-capitalist graffiti on walls before eventually being dispersed by police.
Interior Minister Gerard Collomb condemned the violence and said everything was being done to apprehend the culprits.
Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux criticized the protesters for covering their faces. “When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked,” he said. “Those who wear hoods are the enemies of democracy.”