Violent Clashes Between Firefighters and Police in Paris

There were violent clashes between police and firefighters in Paris on January 28 as firefighters took to the streets demanding improved working conditions and better pension entitlements.

This video was shot on a back street near the Place de la Nation. It shows a group of riot police baton charging a group of firefighters. The firefighters then push back and a melee breaks out as flares land and tear gas spreads among the combatants.

Paris police said the intervention came to prevent the firefighters blocking traffic, and as some of them were attempting to deviate from an agreed location for their protest. Police said two arrests were made.

Images of the violent scenes spread widely on social media, as criticism of what are often perceived as heavy-handed police tactics mounted in France, which has been the scene of widespread strikes and protests in recent months. Credit: Nicolas Mercier via Storyful