Although France did not come to a standstill or grind to a halt on Wednesday, numerous protests took place throughout the day across the country with large gatherings in certain cities – with headcounts between 197,000 and 250,000 people – amid the firm presence of law enforcement.

Called 'Let's block everything', the general strike is expected to bring together some 100,000 people who will walk out of the office, boycott businesses, stage sit-ins and…

There were up to 50 arrests in Paris alone by 8am on Wednesday, as attempts were made to disrupt key transport links, including the Eurostar hub at Gare du Nord.