Key Points
Protesters greet a gabarge collector in his truck during a demonstration to protest the use by French government of the article 49.3, a special clause in the French Constitution, to push the pensions reform bill through the National Assembly without a vote by lawmakers, in Paris, France, March 18, 2023.
The growing unrest and strikes have left President Emmanuel Macron facing the gravest challenge to his authority since the so-called "Gilets Jaunes" (Yellow Vests) protests four years ago.
READ | Paris sees massive protests over pension overhaul; barricades burnt, tear gas fired.
Earlier in the French capital, a group of students and activists from the "Revolution Permanente" collective briefly invaded the Forum des Halles shopping mall, waving banners calling for a general strike and shouting "Paris stand up, rise up", videos on social media showed.
READ | French Senate approves Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms despite raging protests.
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