The so-called Black Bloc anti-capitalist movement were involved in clashes with riot police this afternoon

A total of 300 arrest were made in the French capital with huge parts of the city being placed on lockdown

Some 7,400 police were on the streets for May Day, when workers traditionally protest against the ruling elite

Bin and vehicles set on fire in barricades as rocks thrown at police who in turn use weapons on demonstrators

Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris where Princes Diana died in 1997 so up to 30 intruders storm the building

A mob of rioters linked to France's Yellow Vest movement tried to storm the intensive care unit of the hospital where Princess Diana died.

In unprecedented scenes that have caused shock and outrage, agitators wearing black masks and carrying improvised weapons attacked the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris today.

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Rioting broke out in Paris earlier on Wednesday afternoon as thousands gathered for May Day protests dubbed 'Armageddon' by extremist demonstrators.

Thugs from the so-called Black Bloc anti-capitalist movement were involved in running battles with police soon after 1pm and by 2pm, there were around 300 arrests in Paris, most for public order offences related to the rioting.

Clusters of anarchists and Yellow Vest protesters disrupted the May Day rallies in Paris by throwing rocks, setting rubbish cans on fire and antagonising police riot squads.

Officers used tear gas, flash grenades and rubber ball launchers as troublemakers wearing black masks and hoods confronted them in the street and pelted them with stones and other objects.

The confrontations broke out near the start of the main May Day march near Montparnasse train station and started again at the end of the route near the Place d'Italie in southeast Paris as police tried to disperse stragglers.

Black Bloc activists with their faces covered could be seen leading attacks on officers, and smashing up vehicles and shop fronts.

A masked protester dressed in black standing next to a burning barricade during clashes on the sidelines of a May Day demonstration in Paris

A protester holding a flag of the Romani people as he stands on burning planks on the sidelines of the annual May Day rally

An anti-riot policeman holds a 40-millimetre rubber defensive bullet launcher LBD (LBD40) during clashes with anti-capitalist protesters

A masked protester dressed in black smashing a shop window as Black Bloc demonstrators set fire to barricades and trashed businesses in the French capital

A crowd control canister exploding in front of riot police officers during clashes with police and demonstrators as 300 were arrested for public order offences

French Riot Police stand in clouds of tear gas near a burning barricade as demonstrators set fire to rubbing bins and vehciles around Paris

A Yellow Vest protester kicking a tear gas shell back towards the police as a motorbike and a pile a cardboard boxes burn in front of him

A Gilet Jaune or 'Yellow Vest' protester standing on top of a burning barricade as demonstrations for International Labour Day turned violent with widespread rioting and vandalism

As the violence spread across the city even a hospital was targeted with between 15 and 30 intruders wearing the movement's trademark florescent yellow jackets.

Martin Hirsch, the director of the University Hospitals Pitie-Salpetriere, said his staff faced up to the mob 'in an attempted intrusion that left patients in danger'.

It happened at around 4.30pm on Wednesday towards the end of chaotic May Day protests across Paris that saw almost 300 people arrested.

An unidentified captain from a CRS (Republican Security Company) riot control unit had been admitted to the Pitie-Salpetriere earlier in the afternoon, after being hit by a slab of concrete, and around 15 of his comrades were also being treated for lesser wounds.

Another hospital source said: 'We do not know if the thugs were trying to get at the captain or other officers, but they were clearly very angry. Security guards signalled that they were trying to force themselves through a locked gate that eventually gave way.

'It was then that a mob got into the hospital grounds, and made its way up a staircase to the first floor intensive care unit. Staff had to secure a door of a unit full of patients who require intensive care.'

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Numerous sources said some of the 30-odd intruders were wearing Yellow Vest motoring jackets which have become a symbol of the anti-government movement.

French riot police unleash tear gas cannons on anti-government protesters in Paris as demonstrations descended into violence

Riot police and demonstrators clash as scuffles and skirmishes break out around Paris

Masked Black Blocs protesters, some in wheelchairs and waving banners, throw stones at riot police during demonstrations

Heavily armed riot police in protective gear use batons and tear gas on Yellow Vest protesters

French riot police surround and protect an injured police officer as he receives medical treatment during a demonstration

French riot Police intervene and grabs protesters during a demonstration as large parts of central Paris were put under lockdown

An injured French riot police officer receives medical treatment during from firefighters

Tear gas flooded the Parisian air as riot police confronted anti-government demonstrators

A protester receives medical treatment during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the Yellow Vests

Others had their faces covered and were dressed in black, suggesting they were part of the anti-capitalist Black Bloc group.

Doctors, nurses and interns were among those who got behind the door to the unit, showing 'incredible courage,' said the source.

The stand-off between staff and rioters lasted for around 10 minutes, and it was then that police finally arrived and began making arrests.

Marie-Anne Ruder, another hospital worker, said: 'Staff are deeply shocked that the hospital could become a target - it was a very painful moment for all those who experienced this violent and brutal intrusion.'

It is believed that some 30 protesters were arrested around the Pitie-Salpetriere, where Diana, Princess of Wales, died on August 31 1997.

The Mercedes limousine she was travelling in crashed into an underpass wall, also killing her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed, and their chauffer, Henri Paul.

Commenting on today's attack, France's Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the hospital was 'ransacked' by Black Bloc members.

Health Minister Agnes Buzyn, who is a highly respected medic, said: 'Picking on a hospital is unspeakable.'

A man, his face covered in blood and heavily bandaged, is assisted as he walks away during a May Day demonstration in the French capital Paris today

People hold blue, white and red smoke bombs as they demonstrate to mark May Day or Labour Day on May 1, 2019 in Toulouse, southwestern France

A wounded riot policeman is comforted by colleagues as medics treat him during clashes with police on the sidelines of a May Day demonstration in Paris

A police officer assists an injured man as demonstrators march though Paris during the annual May Day protests on May 1 in Paris

A protester throws back a tear gas canister, during clashes with riot police officers, prior to the start of May Day demonstrations, in Paris on May 1, 2019

A 'Black Bloc' anti-capitalist protester throws a rock at a van during May Day demonstrations today. More than 7,400 police and gendarmes will be deployed across Paris with orders from the French President to take an 'extremely firm stance' if faced with any violence, a government spokeswoman said on April 30

Rubbish bins burn as riot police intervene protesters during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes'

French fireman extinguishing a burning barricade in the centre of Paris

A man walking past garbage and wheelie bins set on fire in Paris. Brief scuffles between police and protesters broke out in the city as thousands of people gather for May Day rallies under tight security measures

A protester wearing a cat mask standing in front of tear gas smoke during running battles with riot police

The worst early violence was outside La Rotonde, President Emmanuel Macron's favourite restaurant in Montparnasse.

'Black Bloc agitators were throwing stones and other missiles at us, and we had to charge,' said a CRS riot control officer of the French National Police at the scene.

'Tear gas has also been deployed to bring order to the situation. The situation is very tense.'

Many 'radical activists' more are expected to come from neighbouring countries including Britain, Germany and Italy to join in the mayhem.

There are fears that they will target public monuments, banks and high-end shops, while also threatening the kind of fires that have become common at protests.

This has led to the Champs Elysee – the most famous avenue in France – being closed, along with Paris's governmental and diplomatic districts.

The Ile de la Cite - the island where Notre Dame Cathedral is situated was also in lockdown following the blaze that almost destroyed it last month.

A Mercedes on fire during the demonstration by the Yellow Vests and trade unions as part of Labour Day demonstration

Riot police with shields and protective gear walk past a barricade in central Paris

Protestors run past a burning barricade as demonstrations for International Labour Day turn violent, with widespread rioting and vandalism

Black Blocs protesters move a Black Swan banner towards riot police during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes'

Riot police firing tear gas canisters towards a crowd of protesters

Black Blocs protesters move a Black Swan banner towards riot police as missiles and flares land around them

A 'Yellow Vest' protesters kicking tear gas shells back towards the police during clashes with riot police that saw swathes of Paris descend into violence

Yellow Vest protesters demonstrating on top of a burning barricade as demonstrations for International Labour Day turned violent

Weapons were also confiscated as the police used tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges to try and restore order.

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Huge parts of Paris were in lockdown as an unprecedented 7,400 police officers were drafted on to the streets.

Groups of masked and hooded protesters were seen causing damage and then merging with the much larger number of peaceful May Day marchers.

Some vandalised a parked van, kicking the vehicle and breaking its windows. Others set small fires to rubbish bins.

Tens of thousands of labour union and 'yellow vest' protesters were on the streets across France, days after Macron outlined a response to months of street protests including tax cuts worth around 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion).

The Russian Foreign Ministry alleged that French police used batons on the head and shoulder of a correspondent for state news agency RIA-Novosti, Viktoria Ivanova.

'We consider the use of violence against journalists in the exercise of their professional duties to be unacceptable,' the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The hard-left CGT union denounced police violence and said its secretary general had been tear-gassed.

'This current scenario, scandalous and unprecedented, is unacceptable in our democracy,' it said in a statement.

A masked protester dressed in black throws a stone to the windscreen of a vehicle, prior to the start of May Day demonstrations, in Paris on May 1, 2019

The windscreen of a vehicle was broken by a rock thrown by protesters, prior to the start of May Day demonstrations, in Paris on May 1, 2019

A Black Bloc protester throws a projectile towards riot police during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes'

The violence was worst outside La Rotonde - a favourite restaurant of President Emmanual Macron, which received international attention after he and his entourage celebrated his first round victory in the Presidential elections

Street medics check an injured protester before the start of the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris, France

Street Medics attend to an injured protestor in the Montparnasse district of Paris, prior to the start of the annuel May Day workers' demonstration

French Gendarmes stand guard as street medics intervene (right), prior to the start of May Day demonstrations in Paris on May

A French riot police officer with his baton drawn arresting a protester during clashes on the sidelines of the annual May Day rally in Paris

Protesters taking part in an event called 'BenallApero', to prevent police from getting to the Contrescarpe square in Paris, a site where a former Elysee senior security officer Alexandre Benalla was caught on video hitting a protester during a previous May Day rally

Demonstrators smash a bank entrance as shops and businesses were trashed during demonstrations that saw huge parts of Paris put under lockdown by the police

A French riot police officer arresting a protester on the ground during a demonstration of the French trade unionsand the Yellow Vests

It wasn't immediately clear how many people were injured. At least two men with head wounds were helped away by paramedics and firefighters helped a woman in a wheelchair. Some police officers also fell on the ground.

The French Interior Ministry said 24 protesters and 14 police officers were injured. The ministry said 28,000 people marched in Paris and more than 164,000 in May Day rallies across the country.

Paris police said one police officer was taken to a hospital with a head injury.

The massive security presence was announced by Interior Minister Christophe Castaner who said: 'There's no question of dramatising anything, it is a question of being prepared.'

May Day is a Bank Holiday and a traditional time for Left-Wing workers to rise up against the ruling elite.

While some of the people clashing with police wore the signature yellow vests of a French anti-government movement, the peaceful march also had participants in yellow vests as well as waving labour union flags.

Authorities had said they expected some 2,000 Black Bloc protesters from France and across Europe to turn up on the sidelines of the rallies.

A protester raises his arms amid teargas smoke during clashes with French anti-riot police officers

Riot police officers restrain a man during a May Day demonstration in Paris - dubbed 'Armageddon' by extremist demonstrators from Black Bloc - an anti-capitalist movement

A man wearing a yellow vest and a mask stands amidst a cloud of tear gas during today's May Day demonstrations in Paris, France

French authorities announced tight security measures for May Day demonstrations, with the interior minister saying there was a risk that "radical activists" could join anti-government yellow vest protesters and union workers in the streets of Paris and across the country.

Activists make their way through tear gas during a May Day demonstration in Paris, Wednesday, May 1, 2019. French authorities announced tight security measures for the expected 'Armageddon' riots today

A protester in a wheelchair, wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) faces anti-riot police forces in the Montparnasse district of Paris, ahead of the start of the annual May Day (Labour Day) workers' demonstration

More than 7,400 police and gendarmes will be deployed across Paris with orders from the French President to take an "extremely firm stance" if faced with any violence, government spokeswoman said on April 30

An injured protester is assisted by a street medic prior to the start of the annual May Day rally in Paris. A heady mix of labour unionists, "yellow vest" demonstrators and hardline hooligans are expected to hit the streets today for Labour Day

A masked protester dressed in black kindles a burning barricade during clashes on the sidelines of a May Day demonstration in Paris, on May 1

Black Blocs protesters move a Black Swan banner towards riot police during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement marking Labour Day in Paris

Riot police clash with demonstrators as they march though Paris during the annual May Day protests

Tear gas floats around masked protesters during clashes before the start of the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris, France

The yellow vest protests, named after motorists' high-visibility jackets, began in November over fuel tax increases but have evolved into a sometimes violent revolt against politicians and a government seen as out of touch.

The sudden violence caught many marchers by surprise, with union members who were caught in the crossfire infuriated by what they claimed was an indiscriminate police crackdown.

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One union member with tears in his eyes, referring to the momentous student-led protests in Paris that took place in 1968, said: 'I've never seen anything like it, not even in '68. It was outrageous.'

Yellow vest supporters joined the traditional May Day union march to show their common rejection of President Emmanuel Macron's economic policies, seen as favouring the wealthy and big business.

Macron last week tried to address the complaints of the yellow vest movement by announcing tax cuts for middle-class workers and an increase in pensions.

Yellow Vest protesters chant slogans against President Macron while waving a symbolic yellow flare filling the air with smoke

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said extra officers were needed because '1,000 to 2,000 extremists' were expected to join in the trouble today

More than 7,400 police and security forces have been deployed in the city to prevent a repeat of the violence and disorder seen in 2018

Paris riot police fired teargas as they squared off against hardline demonstrators among tens of thousands of May Day protesters, who flooded the city in a test for France's zero-tolerance policy on street violence

French riot police gather to protect the Rotonde restaurant during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and protesters of the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement marking Labor Day in Paris

Masked protestors - part of the 'black bloc' direct action movement - attack a van in the Montparnasse district of Paris on May 1 2019

Protesters stand amid smoke during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement marking Labor Day in Paris

A protester kicks away a tear gas canister in front of French riot police during a May Day demonstration in Paris on Wednesday

Protesters throw projectiles towards the riot police during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the Gilets Jaunes

A firefighter spraying water on a tree after planks were set ablaze under it by protesters causing huge parts of Paris to be put on lockdown

Protesters stacking up a barricade by adding a wheelie bin as others chant against President Macron

A member of the French anti-riot police CRS receives medication after being injured during clashes with demonstrators

French firefighters help an injured 'Yellow Vest' protester hit by a police grenade in central Paris

Protesters gather on the Place d'Italie at the end of the annual May Day rally in Paris

Philippe Martinez, secretary general of one of France's major trade unions, the CGT, temporarily left the march for security reasons during the scuffles between the anarchist protesters and police.

After rejoining the march, he stressed that yellow vest and union activists 'are marching together in all French cities'.

'That's a protest of workers who tell the government and the president of the republic: ''Change your policies,'' Martinez said of the support from the movement that started in November. 'We are very satisfied of the mobilisation.'

He later returned, visibly agitated, with sharp words of criticism for the police whom he accused of 'charging at well-identified union members'.

Signs held aloft during the march read 'Long live freedom, long live socialism,' 'Police, gendarmes, join us,' and 'What are we going to leave our children? Wake up.'

French authorities had warned 'radical activists' might disrupt the Paris demonstration Wednesday as in previous yellow vest protests and on May Day during the last two years.

A masked protester in black gestures prior to the start of May Day demonstrations in Paris. France's zero-tolerance approach to protest violence will be tested as a mix of labour unionists, 'yellow vest' demonstrators and hardline hooligans are expected to hit the streets today

French riot Police intervene protesters during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement marking Labor Day in Paris, France, 01 May 2019

A Black Bloc protester throws a projectile towards riot police during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement marking Labor Day in Paris

People including protesters wearing yellow vests gather near La Rotonde restaurant during the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris

French police apprehend protesters during the traditional May Day labour union march with French unions and yellow vests protesters in Paris

French police detain a protester during clashes on the sidelines of the annual May Day workers' rally in Paris on May 1, 2019

Demonstrators clash with police as they march though Paris during the annual May Day protests on May 01, 2019 in Paris, France

Protesters gesture and face riot police officers amid tear gas smoke, prior to the start of May Day demonstrations, in Paris on May 1, 2019

French riot police officers face Black Blocs and Yellow Vests protesters chanting anti-government slogans and waving placards as they marched through Paris

A man wearing an Anonymous mask and a Yellow vest walks past French riot police during a May Day rally in the southern French city of Marseille on May

In France, there have been around 5,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers deployed for recent Yellow Vest demonstrations that have descended into anarchy.

Today a further 2,400 were deemed necessary as the Vests were joined by trade unionists, climate change protesters and Black Bloc who had posted messages on social media pledging an 'Armageddon' that would turn Paris into the 'Riot Capital of Europe'.

Mr Castanar said the extra officers were needed because '1,000 to 2,000 extremists' were expected to join in the trouble.

These would be added to around 25,000 Yellow Vests in Paris alone, and some 100,000 more in other parts of France, said Mr Castaner.

The French Interior Ministry said about 16,000 people marched in Paris and more than 151,000 in May Day rallies across the country.

A private company hired by a group of French news outlets, Occurrence, counted 40,000 protesters in Paris.

More than 7,400 police officers were deployed in Paris because of the May Day events. The Paris police department said there were 288 arrests. Officers also carried out more than 12,500 'preventive searches' of bags.

A French riot police officer being evacuated from the scene of violent clashes in the city after being injured during a demonstration in central Paris

Masked protestors dressed in black, some carrying the famous yellow vests of the anti-government protest movement gather in the Montparnasse district of Paris

Demonstrators clash with police as they march though Paris during the annual May Day protests on May 01, 2019 in Paris

French anti-riot policemen detain a protester in the Montparnasse district of Paris, prior to the start of the annual May Day (Labour Day) workers' demonstration in Paris on May 1

Tear gas floats around masked protesters during clashes with French riot police during a demonstration as part of the traditional May Day labour day in Paris, France, May 1, 2019

Tear gas surrounds masked protesters wearing French flags and Yellow Vests during clashes with French riot police in Paris

French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement attend a protest marking Labor Day in Paris, France, 01 May 2019

Protesters run during clashes with police on the sidelines of the annual May Day rally in Paris on May 1, 2019

French riot Police intervene protesters during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement marking Labor Day in Paris, France, 01 May 2019

Brief scuffles between police and protesters have broken out in Paris as thousands of people gather for May Day rallies under tight security measures. Police used tear gas to control the crowd gathering near Paris' Montparnasse train station

A police officer points a 40-millimetre rubber defensive bullet launcher LBD, as he stands guard with gendarmes and riot police officers, prior to the start of May Day demonstrations, in Paris on May 1

Protesters hold a sign reading 'Patriarchy Murderer' during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and protesters of the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement through Paris' streets marking Labor Day in Paris

French CRS riot police apprehend a protester during clashes at a demonstration during the traditional May Day labour day in Paris, France

A protester hold a placard that translates as 'The People are fighting the Human Vegetables' during a May Day demonstration in Paris, Wednesday, May 1, 2019

An injured protester being evacuated from the area by street medics. French authorities announced tight security measures for May Day demonstrations, with the interior minister saying there was a risk that 'radical activists' could join anti-government yellow vest protesters and union workers in the streets of Paris and across the country

Far-left politician Eric Coquerel, member of France Insoumise ('Rebel France') said 'violence is, unfortunately, often playing against protesters.' Larger numbers of demonstrators would be 'more efficient' to put pressure on the government, he said.

French police ordered the closure of more than 580 shops, restaurants and cafes on the Paris protest route and numerous subway stations were shut.

Philippe Martinez, secretary general of the CGT union, temporarily left the march for security reasons during the scuffles between the anarchist protesters and police.

After rejoining the marching throngs, he stressed that yellow vest and union activists 'are marching together in all French cities.'

A masked protester walks past a fire during clashes with riot police as part of the traditional May Day labour union march with French unions and yellow vests protesters in Paris

Protesters walk past a burning barricade during clashes with police on the sidelines of a May Day demonstration in Paris

Masked protesters burn street furniture during clashes with riot police as part of the traditional May Day labour union march with French unions and yellow vests protesters in Paris

A protester is arrested by French riot Police during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and protesters of the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement marking Labor Day in Paris

A man kicks away a tear gas canister during a May Day demonstration in Paris, Wednesday, May 1, 2019. France's interior minister said there was a risk that 'radical activists' could join anti-government yellow vest protesters and union workers in the streets of Paris today

Police face demonstrators during a May Day rally in Paris today. By 2pm there had been a total of 300 arrests in the French capital with huge parts of the city on lockdown

Demonstrators march though Paris as they take part in the annual May Day protests on May 01, 2019 in Paris, France. More than 7,400 police and security forces have been deployed in the city to prevent a repeat of the violence and disorder seen in 2018

French CRS riot police apprehend a protester during clashes at a demonstration during the traditional May Day labour day in Paris, France

Protesters wearing yellow vests gather in the Montparnasse district before the start of the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris, France, May 1, 2019. The placard reads: 'RIC (Citizens Initiated Referendum)'

French riot police stand guard during clashes with protesters

Riot police clashed with demonstrators as they marched though Paris with burning barricades set up around the city

Riot police escort a demonstrator from the area during violent clashes across Paris

Police wearing motorcycle helmets stand in a cordon during during a confrontation with anti-government protesters

Armoured cars and water cannons were also being deployed next to historic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomhe.

The Vests – who are named after their high visibility motoring jackets – started as an online group calling for an end to high fuel prices last November.

Some agitators vowed on social media to turn Paris into 'the capital of rioting', the government said it had deployed security on an 'exceptional scale'.

They have been demonstrating in major cities such as Paris every Saturday since, and are now calling for President Emmanuel Macron to resign.

He went on television last week to outline a package of economic reforms worth around £4.5billion, but it has failed to pacify his critics.

As Mr Macron prepares for European Parliament elections this month, he wants to show he is capable of maintaining law and order in his own country.

Maxime Nicolle, aka Fly Rider, one of the leading figures of the "yellow vests" (gilets jaunes) movement, looks on prior to the start of the annual May Day rally in Paris

French CRS riot police secure a position during clashes at a demonstration during the traditional May Day labour day in Paris

A man holds up a banner that plays on the name of disgraced former top presidential security aide Alexandre Benalla, during a May Day rally in the southern French city of Marseille on May 1. Benalla was identified by Le Monde newspaper on 18 July 2018 as the person filmed beating up a young protester during the 2018 May Day demonstrations in Paris while impersonating a police officer

Street medics check an injured protester before the start of the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris today

A masked protester wrapped in a French flag looks on while standing in front of riot police prior to the start of the annual May Day rally in Paris

A protester holds a scale and a placard which reads "LBD40, CAC40 same fight" in front of French riot police during the traditional May Day labour day march in Paris

A police officer points a 40-millimetre rubber defensive bullet launcher LBD prior to the start of May Day demonstrations, in Paris on May 1, 2019

A yellow vest protester wearing an Alexandre Benalla mask gestures prior to the start of the annual May Day rally in Paris on May 1, 2019. Benalla was identified by Le Monde newspaper on 18 July 2018 as the person filmed beating up a young protester during the 2018 May Day demonstrations in Paris while impersonating a police officer

Authorities have warned that this year's marches could be tense, coming barely a week after leaders of the yellow vest anti-government movement angrily dismissed a package of tax cuts by President Emmanuel Macron

A protestor walks through a cloud of tear gas during a May Day demonstration in Paris, Wednesday, May 1, 2019

French authorities announced tight security measures for May Day demonstrations, with the interior minister saying there was a risk that "radical activists" could join anti-government yellow vest protesters and union workers in the streets of Paris and across the country

French riot police secure a position before the start of the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris, France on May 1

People including protesters wearing yellow vests gather before the start of the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris

Union members and others march during a May Day or Labour Day rally in the western French city of Bordeaux on May 1, 2019

A woman holding a placard reading "Only Frexit turns me on" takes part in a march called by the Popular Republican Union party (Union Populaire Republicaine - UPR) in Paris

A man wearing a helmet sporting French and British flag as well as the Croix de Lorraine (Cross of Lorraine) takes part in a march called by the Popular Republican Union party (Union Populaire Republicaine - UPR) in Paris on May 1, 2019, as part of the EU election campaign

Protesters wearing yellow vests and masked protesters gather before the start of the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris

Union members and others march during a May Day or Labour Day rally in the western French city of Bordeaux on May 1, 2019

A woman holds up a placard that reads,'28 suicides in 4 months, join us', referring to police suicides since the start of the year during a May Day or Labour Day rally in the western French city of Bordeaux on May 1, 2019

Protesters hold a sign reading 'Patriarchy Murderer' during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and protesters of the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) in Paris

France's powerful labour unions had hoped to use the traditional May Day march for workers' rights to raise their profile after finding themselves sidelined for months by the grass-roots yellow vest movement.

May Day demonstrations were also expected today in major cities such as Bordeaux, Marseille and Toulouse.

International Workers' Day demonstrations also took place across the world in Nigeria, Algeria, Turkey and Indonesia today.

Many countries celebrate or protest for workers rights on May 1, which is a public holiday in many countries, after socialists settled on the date to commemorate the Haymarket affair.

In Saint Petersburg, home city of Vladimir Putin, officials allowed pro-Kremlin marchers to rally freely. But police swiftly broke up a sanctioned march by supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and made some 60 arrests after protesters chanted anti-Putin slogans.

A placard that reads, 'We need Frexit' - of a French exit from the EU - during a May Day or Labour Day rally in the western French city of Bordeaux on May 1

A flare is burning in front of gendarmes officers, prior to the start of May Day demonstrations, in Paris on May 1, 2019. - France's zero-tolerance approach to protest violence will be tested on May 1, when a heady mix of labour unionists, "yellow vest" demonstrators and hardline hooligans are expected to hit the streets on Labour Day.

Protesters wearing yellow vests and masked protesters gather before the start of the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris, France

An activist kicks away a tear gas canister during a May Day demonstration in Paris, Wednesday, May 1, 2019. French authorities announced tight security measures for May Day demonstrations, with the interior minister saying there was a risk that "radical activists" could join anti-government yellow vest protesters and union workers in the streets of Paris and across the country

Masked protesters stand in heavy tear gas smoke prior to the start of the annual May Day rally in Paris on May 1, 2019

People holding a portrait of the head of the Popular Republican Union (UPR) party, Francois Asselineau take part in a march called by the Popular Republican Union party (Union Populaire Republicaine - UPR) in Paris on May 1, 2019, as part of the EU election campaign

A protestor stands on a pedestrian crossing light during a May Day demonstration in Paris on Wednesday May 1 2019

People carry a banner that reads, 'State of Climate emergency' during a May Day or Labour Day rally in the western French city of Bordeaux on May 1, 2019

A protestor confronts police officers during a May Day demonstration in the French capital Paris on Wednesday, May 1, 2019

A protestor attends a May Day demonstration in Paris, Wednesday on May 1, 2019

One of the Yellow Vest (Gilet Jaune) movement's leading figures Jerome Rodrigues gives a thumbs-up as he arrives in the Montparnasse district of Paris, ahead of the start of the annual May Day (Labour Day) workers' demonstration in Paris on May 1

Brief scuffles between police and protesters have broken out in Paris as thousands of people gather for May Day rallies under tight security measures

A protestor holds a banner criticising the funding of the Notre Dame cathedral renovations, during a May Day demonstration in Paris, Wednesday, May 1, 2019

A man in costume holds a banner that reads, 'What are we going to leave our children, wake up' during a May Day or Labour Day rally in the French capital Paris on May 1, 2019

Thousands began rallying for May Day in Paris with a heady mix of labour unionists, "yellow vest" demonstrators and hardline troublemakers expected to turn out in a test for France's zero-tolerance policy on protest violence

French police apprehend protesters during the traditional May Day labour union march with French unions and yellow vests protesters in Paris

A protestor kicks back a tear gas canister during clashes with police prior to the start of the annual May Day rally in Paris on May

Protesters stand amid tear gas during clashes with security forces on the sidelines of the annual May Day workers' rally in Paris on May 1, 2019

Police used tear gas to control the crowd gathering near Paris' Montparnasse train station. Brief scuffles between police and protesters have broken out in Paris as thousands of people gather for May Day rallies under tight security measures

Balloons from the French Trade Union CGT float over the traditional May Day labour union march with French unions and yellow vests protesters in Paris, France, May 1, 2019

A demonstrator wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) holds a placard reading 'yes, I'm for the citizen dialogue, tax justice, social action and a real ecological transition', during a May Day demonstration

Demonstrators clash police as they march though Paris during in the annual May Day protests on May 01, 2019 in Paris, France

In Nigeria, the marches were protesting against the harsh economic downturn and at the same time demanding for better welfare and working conditions.

Turkish police arrested 127 people as they sought to hold a May Day rally in an Istanbul square in defiance of a ban.

Istanbul police made dozens of arrests of people at an unauthorised rally at Taksim Square, the city's traditional focal point of protest.

And in Manila, some 8,000 protesters torched a giant effigy of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte over his policies' impact on the nation's poor.

Protests also marked Labour Day rallies in Algeria, where marchers called for top politicians to quit, and the Philippines, where a giant effigy of President Rodrigo Duterte was torched.

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And the tense standoff between pro-and anti-regime elements continued in Venezuela after opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a massive May Day protest to increase the pressure on President Maduro.

Workers protesting during a May Day rally in Surabaya, East Java Province, Indonesia, wore red and took selfies

Supports of the Lebanese Communist party were seen holding an Arabic banner that says 'unite' during this Labour Day protest

People marched at the Agege Stadium in Lagos earlier today, where workers protested against the harsh economic downturn

Pictured: members of the Otohu Diamond Women Initiative hold a placard arguing for sex workers' rights in Lagos, Nigeria

Here, a demonstrator uses a megaphone during a protest at a May Day march in Algiers, Algeria, while draped in the country's flag

Students hold images of Marxist leaders and flags as they shout slogans during a Labour Day rally in Ankara, Turkey

Sri Lankan women working in Beirut in Lebanon held up signs saying 'we need freedom' during today's march against worsening economic conditions in the country

Workers raise their caps during a rally to mark Labour day at the Agege Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria, earlier today

These women were seen shouting slogans and holding placards as they attended a May Day rally in Karachi, Pakistan