French firefighters set themselves on fire on Tuesday, protesting a recent pension-reform proposal.

The measure "will be carried out," said French President Emmanuel Macron last December.

The protests are connected to broader public anger about Macron's pursuit of austerity for working people.

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Thousands of firefighters marched through the streets of Paris on Tuesday, protesting against the government's recently proposed pension reforms. Some set themselves on fire in a bold display of anger.

As the workers demonstrated in their uniforms, some clashed with riot police, who fired tear gas at the crowds. Security forces also hit some protesters with batons, Reuters reported.

Firefighters broadly reject President Emmanuel Macron's overhaul of the government-pension system. They are asking to maintain staff levels, receive a premium that reflects the risk of their work, and keep the old pension system.

"We are the final link in the chain of emergency aid in France and we are overwhelmed by callouts," said Frederic Perrin, head of the union SPASDIS-CFTC. The "callouts" Perrin mentioned are a reference to the fact that in France, firefighters respond to general emergency calls.

"We need the staffing and means to respond to this and also a guarantee that we can concentrate on our core missions — emergency response — and not serve as a supplement to absent health services," Perrin said to AFP.

One video on Twitter shows a pair of firefighters engulfed in flames, the fire charring their uniforms. They withstood the flames for about 15 seconds before a colleague sprayed them with a fire extinguisher.

Strikes and mass protests have roiled France over the past several years, most famously with the yellow vest movement. But in December 2019, the French public organized a strike that included much of the workforce, from students and teachers to truckers, judges, and nurses.

Macron's proposed pension reforms would collapse the 42 currently existing pension schemes into one single system. It would be the "deepest overhaul of France's pension system since its creation in the aftermath of the second world war," Cole Stangler, a Paris-based journalist, wrote.

Flames engulf a firefighter. Julien Mattia/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The reform could save money. But critics fear it would also harm France's retirement system, which is one of the best in the world. Ninety-three percent of older people in France are secure from poverty, which is the highest rate in the European Union. The reforms would also increase the minimum age for retirement benefits to 64, up from 62.

Even before Macron's proposal, the French public was angered by his pursuit of austerity policies for working people.

He cut unemployment benefits in 2017, and he replaced a wealth tax with a property-holdings tax that was less stringent on the super-rich. A 2017 poll found that 82% of people in France believe Macron's tax policies serve mainly "the richest" people, according to Reuters.

Just before the New Year, Macron vowed not to drop the proposal.

It "will be carried out," he said in a television address, expressing hope that the government and workers' unions could arrive at a "quick compromise."