On Tuesday, 750,000 people across France went on strike and demonstrated against the new pension reforms.
In the capital Paris, both subway traffic and some rail traffic were at a standstill and flight departures were cancelled.
In some places schools also closed and every other worker at the oil company Total Energies' refineries stopped work.
The organizer, the CGT trade union, however, states that the number of demonstrators was rather around two million.
Third time
It is the third time in a few weeks that the French have gone on strike and demonstrated in protest against the pension reform that President Emmanuel Macron is determined to push through.
The vast majority of protest marches are reported to have been relatively peaceful, but in the western French city of Nantes, protesters clashed with police, who used tear gas to disperse the crowds.
- If the government continues to refuse to listen, we must of course increase the pressure, he says among the demonstrators gathered in the streets of Paris, says Philippe Martinez, chairman of the left-wing radical CGT.
Most negative
More demonstrations are planned for Saturday, but then no train strikes have been announced.
Macron's highly contested pension reform means that the French retirement age - which is one of Europe's lowest - is raised from 62 to 64 and that the French have to work more years to get a full pension.
According to surveys, two thirds of the population are skeptical of the changes.
Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon says it's time the president listens to the people.
- Unless he has become completely authoritarian, you have to behave reasonably in a democracy, said Mélenchon.