A nationwide strike brought much of France to a standstill on Thursday as tens of thousands hit the streets to protest a pension overhaul by President Emmanuel Macron, which unions say will force millions of people to work longer or face curtailed benefits.

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Trains, metros and buses, as well as some flights, were cancelled while most schools were closed or only assuring daycare services, forcing many parents to find alternatives or stay home from work.

Authorities said around 285,000 people had taken part in rallies across the country by midday, a figure that did not include the several thousand at a Paris march that began at 2:00 pm. “We haven’t seen such a turnout in a very long time,” said Yves Veyrier, head of the Force Ouvriere union at the beginning of the Paris rally toward the Place de la Nation.

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“We now expect the government to take the measure of this mobilisation, and understand that its universal system is a bad idea,” he said. Although the Paris march began peacefully, black-clad protesters later set fire to a storage trailer and broke storefront windows, prompting police to fire tear gas to try to halt the vandalism.

Police also fired tear gas in the western city of Nantes, where some protesters scuffled with firefighters and security forces. Public transport unions said they would extend until at least Monday their open-ended strike, which saw 90 percent of TGV and regional trains cancelled and nearly all lines on the Paris metro affected. Rush-hour traffic was lighter than usual in the French capital as many people simply took the day off to avoid the travel chaos, with several stores and restaurants shuttered because employees could not get to work.

Bike paths were packed as commuters turned to bicycles and electric scooters, while several ride-hailing companies were offering special strike promotions.

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