April 03, 2018 - 8:26 AM
PARIS - The Latest on the labour strike that has disrupted France's train service (all times local):
5:10 p.m.
Police have pushed back and detained some protesting youth in Paris after shop windows were smashed on the sidelines of a march by striking train workers.
A group of young people overtook the unions leading a march through the French capital Tuesday to protest reforms by President Emmanuel Macron's government.
The youths, some wearing scarves over their faces, played cat and mouse with riot police that were deployed in force at the Saint-Lazare train station in northern Paris.
Police charged the crowd after the windows of a bank and nearby shops were shattered in the melee. Associated Press reporters at the scene saw a few protesters detained.
Paris police say no injuries were reported and the situation is under control.
The rest of the protest was peaceful. Similar confrontations often occur at French demonstrations.
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9:15 a.m.
A major French railway strike has brought the country's famed high-speed trains to a halt, leaving passengers stranded and posing the biggest test so far for President Emmanuel Macron's economic strategy.
The SNCF national rail authority says about 12 per cent of trains are running Tuesday, in the first of a series of strikes set to last three months.
Passengers are packing platforms or hitching rides on traffic-clogged roads and sharing travel tips online.
Traffic is also disrupted on Eurostar lines to Britain and trains to Germany, though most trains are running as usual.
Rail workers are protesting government plans to eliminate worker protections. It's part of Macron's broader plans to make France more globally competitive.
Strikes and protest actions Tuesday are also hitting Air France flights, garbage collection and universities.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018