France's largest shutdown in decades turned violent on Thursday after protesters in Paris and the western city of Nantes smashed windows and torched cars and riot police charged crowds and used tear gas in response.

A general strike has paralyzed the country as workers and other professionals protest against President Emmanuel Macron's proposed pension reforms.

The Eiffel Tower and other businesses in Paris closed down and security authorities formed a barricade around the presidential palace. Authorities also deployed over 6,000 police officers to control protests and marches.

Over 800,000 people took part in demonstrations around the country, 65,000 of them in the capital, a union organizer reported. Police detained at least 90 people in Paris on Thursday.