France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was set to take office on Wednesday as protesters took to the streets in a show of grassroots opposition to President Emmanuel Macron, sparking clashes with police and dozens of arrests.

The demonstrations, led by a loose left-wing collective under the slogan "Block Everything", are a baptism of fire for Lecornu, 39, a close ally of Macron and defence minister for the past three years.

France deployed some 80,000 police nationwide as protesters in and around Paris built barricades from rubbish bins, blocked schools and roads and pelted police with garbage early in the day.

In the southeastern city of Lyon, protesters blocked a road running through the city and set bins on fire, while in the western city of Nantes police used tear gas to disp

See Full Page