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Paris protests
As labor unions went on strike in France, some protesters set fires and threw objects. The iconic tourist attraction the Eiffel Tower was closed. More than two-thirds of schoolteachers went on strike. Source: APTN
PARIS - Labor unions launched nationwide strikes in France on Thursday, disrupting mass transit, schools, and public services. Even the Eiffel Tower and some exhibition rooms at the Louvre museum were closed for the day.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding," the Louvre said on its website.
The Eiffel Tower's esplanade was to remain open until 8 p.m. local time, officials said.
"We had one morning left and we wanted to come up the Eiffel Tower but it was closed so we came to see the gardens anyway, just to get underneath it," Sandra Nevills, a tourist from Canada, told the Associated Press.
Many people in the Paris region worked from home or took a day off to be with their children, the AP reported, because almost 80% of schoolteachers were on strike.
Thousands of police officers were deployed to the streets but held back as protests got heated. Some protesters smashed store windows and set fires.
The strikes are in response to the government's plan to overhaul the country's retirement system.
The Eiffel Tower remained closed on Dec. 5, 2019. (APTN)