New show of anger in France over Macron's pension reforms; see pics

Protests and strikes against unpopular pension reforms kicked off again on March 28 across France, with police security ramped up amid government warnings that radical demonstrators intended 'to destroy, to injure and to kill.' Concerns that violence could mar the demonstrations prompted what Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin described as an unprecedented deployment of 13,000 officers, nearly half of them concentrated in the French capital.

Protesters took to the streets in France on March 28 in a new show of anger against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, with a record number of police deployed after previous demonstrations descended into violence. Credit: Reuters Photo

Protesters were clashing with security forces by mid-afternoon in the major western city of Nantes, while in Paris union members blocked the Gare de Lyon rail hub by walking onto the tracks. Credit: Reuters Photo

The day of action is the tenth since protests began in mid-January against the law, which includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. Credit: Reuters Photo

Protesters hold a banner reading 'Black lines, the future belongs to us' during a demonstration after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using Article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris. Credit: AFP Photo

Last week Paris saw the most violent clashes between protesters and security forces, as tensions erupted into pitched battles on the streets. Credit: AFP Photo

Meanwhile, the police have also been accused of using excessive force -- both by protesters and rights bodies including the Council of Europe -- and this risks fuelling protesters' anger. Credit: AFP Photo

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 13,000 members of the security forces would be deployed on Tuesday (March 28) -- 5,500 of them in Paris alone. Credit: AFP Photo

Clashes were meanwhile erupting in Rennes, also in western France, a flashpoint in last week's demonstrations. Credit: Reuters Photo

In Nantes, protesters threw projectiles at security forces who responded with tear gas. Credit: AFP Photo