Riot police clashed with anti-capitalist protesters in Paris on Wednesday, firing tear gas to disperse them as thousands gathered for a May Day march in the city’s south.
In a tense atmosphere, hundreds of so-called “black bloc” activists pushed to the front of the gathering crowd on Montparnasse Boulevard, hurling bottles and other projectiles at police in a confrontation some 90 minutes before the march was to start.
One protester suffered a head injury, an AFP journalist said.
Riot police also used stingball grenades to disperse the crowd.
A controversial riot control device, the grenade is thrown at ground level, releasing scores of rubber pellets that cause an intense stinging to the legs within a 15-metre range.
By late morning, police said some 88 people had been detained for questioning.
Six armoured vehicles and six water cannon were also on standby to be brought in if needed, a police source told AFP.
