Firefighters have taken to the streets of Paris to demand better pay, pension guarantees and improved working conditions.

At least 5,000 firefighters from across France gathered in the capital, holding banners declaring they were "angry firefighters".

As tensions grew, police fired tear gas and water cannon to quell the protesters.

"There is real anger and the problem is we're not listened to," Eric Brezault, a 46-year-old firefighter from southern France told Reuters. "That's why people are getting more angry and it's starting to get violent."