BUZZTUBE

Parisian police faced off against protesters for the third consecutive night as demonstrations erupted across the country in response to the government's decision to raise the state pension age without a parliamentary vote. The protests and strikes, involving a broad coalition of France's major unions, are causing the most significant challenge to President Emmanuel Macron's authority since the Yellow Vest protests in 2018. Riot police employed tear gas and clashed with demonstrators, and rubbish has been piling up on the streets of Paris as refuse workers join in the industrial action. Macron's pension overhaul raises the pension age by two years to 64, which the government contends is essential to keep the system solvent.