Number Of Detained At May Day Demonstrations In France Rises To 540 - Interior Minister

The number of detained people at the May Day demonstrations against the pension reform in France has risen to 540, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Tuesday.

"Yesterday, all over France, there were more than 500 arrests, to be precise, 540 people were detained, of which 305 were detained in Paris," he said on air on the RMC BFMTV broadcaster.

The minster added that the number of police officers who were injured during the riots at the demonstrations on May Day reached 406 people, and 259 of them received injuries in Paris.

On Monday, large nationwide May Day protest marches took place across France. During riots, the police used tear gas and water cannons, while the radical black bloc protesters threw stones and fired flares, Molotov cocktails, and improvised explosive devices, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.