Floats, flares and fireworks marked the end of a day of nationwide protests in Paris on Thursday, as demonstrators gathered at Nation Square during a one-day public sector strike. The demonstrations took place largely peacefully across France, although clashes between protesters and police were reported in Paris and Lyon. France’s Interior Ministry estimated that 600,000 people took part in protests nationwide, while the CGT trade union, one of the organisers, put the figure at 1.6 million. Clashes broke out in Paris as the gathering came to an end, with police moving to clear the square and authorities extinguishing small fires.