Protests as French govt survives no-confidence vote

STORY: Chaos on the streets of Paris on Monday....

...just hours after French President Emmanuel Macron's government narrowly survived a no-confidence vote

over its plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.

Protesters, angry about the proposed reforms, set fire to piles of garbage and other debris in the streets.

Several people were detained.

There were similar scenes in the French cities of Lille and Bordeaux,

where hundreds of people gathered and chanted: "Macron, resign"

In Lille, police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators.

This pensioner says he's not surprised the vote of no-confidence failed...

adding that they will continue to fight and the movement will grow.

Earlier in the day, 278 French MPs backed a tripartisan, no-confidence motion in Macron's government,

just nine short of the 287 need for it to succeed.

Macron says his pension reforms are necessary to keep the pension budget afloat.

Opponents say his decision to bypass a parliamentary vote on the pension bill -

which triggered the no confidence motions -

has undermined his reformist agenda and weakened his leadership.

Unions and opposition parties have vowed to step up protests to try to force a U-turn.