Police in Paris have arrested nearly 200 masked demonstrators who smashed shop windows and torched cars during annual May Day protests.

Far-left anarchist groups, known as Black Blocs, hijacked a peaceful rally against President Emmanuel Macron's public sector labour reforms.

Police said about 1,200 masked and hooded protesters attended the annual 1 May demonstration by labour unions.

Four people, including a police officer, were lightly wounded.

The protesters were swamped with teargas and sprayed with a water canon in an effort to disperse them.

The black-clad protesters attempted to hold up the demonstration march, before smashing shop windows along the route and torching a McDonald's near Austerlitz station.

Various vehicles and a car dealership were also set ablaze, and graffiti was scrawled on walls.

Source: bbc.com

BDST: 1119 HRS, May 2, 2018
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