France lived on the impact of the tenth day of protest organized by unions against the law raising the retirement age, and the protests expanded to many French cities, led by the capital, Paris.
Strikes also continued to cover the tourism sector, with Paris tourist icons such as the Palace of Versailles and the Eiffel Tower closed to tourists. Trade unions also organized strikes involving all labour and education sectors.
Meanwhile, the leader of the left-wing Proud France party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, warned President Emmanuel Macron that anger was mounting and said he should listen to the masses.
He stressed during his participation in demonstrations on Tuesday that raising the retirement age has no parliamentary legitimacy, and that the demonstrations will continue until the government retracts its decision.
The French government called on political parties and forces to condemn the violence. A French government statement said France would remain a bulwark against what it described as violence and violent extremist groups.
The statement noted that demonstrations should not turn violent, and that political discourse should remain disciplined.
The French government statement added that there is no mediation with any party at a time when it is possible to talk directly with all French people.
The tenth day of demonstrations against pension reform in France on Tuesday saw clashes between police and hundreds of protesters, as tensions rose in the country as dialogue between President Emmanuel Macron's government and unions reached an impasse.
In Paris, security forces intervened to disperse a group of protesters after they broke into a grocery store and set fire to a garbage container just before the main protest march reached Place El Watan, AFP correspondents said. Police said they had arrested 22 people.
The Paris police headquarters said security forces fired tear grenades to "disperse the demonstration", allow "fire brigades to intervene" and "facilitate the progress of the march".
Demonstrators clashed with security forces on Tuesday afternoon in the western city of Nantes, where a bank was set on fire and the administrative court was targeted, as well as in the western city of Rennes, where vandalism took place.
Protests against the French president's amendment, which specifically raises the retirement age from 62 to 64, have intensified since the government adopted the text without a vote in the General Assembly, while motions of no confidence did not lead to the overthrow of the government.
Since then, demonstrations have seen increased violence, during which police, gendarmes and protesters have been injured, and public buildings have been torched.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on Tuesday the deployment of "13,5500 police, including <>,<> in Paris", in "unprecedented" reinforcements.