The streets of Paris were left littered with debris after French riot police fought running battles with protesters on a day of demonstrations. 

A climate march in the capital city was disrupted by masked demonstrators and representatives of the "yellow vest" movement and more than 7,500 police officers were deployed to stop any violence.

Despite several districts being made out-of-bounds for protests, hundreds ignored the barriers and flocked to the sites, including the Champs-Elysees. Police pushed back the groups and made more than 130 arrests. More than 30 metro stations were also closed in the city.

The yellow vest protesters, named after their high-visibility jackets, were holding a 45th consecutive Saturday of protest and clashed with riot police, who fired tear gas at the crowd.

This preceded a march against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms, which attracted tens of thousands of people.

The measures were announced during the 2017 election – an attempt to reduce France's convoluted 42 different state pension schemes into one universal system.

Some argue it may be economically beneficial in the long run, but the short-term looks much less appealing to many.

Yves Veyrier, the general secretary of the Force Ouvrière union, told CGTN: "We have a very good retirement system in France, they don't want it to be destroyed, they don't want a new system."

Olivier Repessé, a union delegate, said: "More and more people in France are fed up with what the government is doing with the money from the workers."

Dominique Ferragina, a protester who had come from Lyon to join the protest in the French capital, said: "When you have worked 40 years, you are tired, you want to stop working or maybe to work in a different way, but it won't be possible."

Macron wants the French to work longer. Most retire at around 63, but the general idea is to boost pensions for those who agree to retire later and reduce them for those who retire early.

The country's prime minister, Edouard Philippe, said previously that "nothing is set in stone," but insisted the government is determined to push through the reforms.

A draft law is expected next spring, but the country could be facing many more angry street protests before then.