Thousands of yellow vest protesters join French strike movement as travel disruption enters third day

Thousands of yellow vest activists joined the French strike movement this weekend, causing further chaos as travel disruptions across Europe enter their third day.

Planes have been grounded, trains axed and Eurostar services cancelled as French unions continue their walkout.

Air France, EasyJet, Ryanair and British Airways have all announced that their flights will be disrupted again while Eurostar will run a reduced timetable until Tuesday.

It comes as thousands of Gillet Jaunes protesters marched from the Finance Ministry complex on the Seine River through southeast Paris on Saturday.

Some threw projectiles or pushed riot officers, prompting police to discharge repeated bursts of tear gas.

The marchers were emboldened by the biggest national demonstrations in years that kicked off a mass strike-and-protest movement against President Emmanuel Macron's redesign of the pension system.

As the strikes entered a third day on Saturday, tourists and shoppers faced shuttered subway lines around Paris and near-empty train stations.

Truckers striking over a fuel tax hike disrupted traffic on highways from Provence in the southeast to Normandy in the northwest.

The strikes have led to school closures across the country, while people have been urged to stay away from major tourist spots - including the Eiffel Tower.

It is unclear exactly how long the strike will last. Unions say it is an indefinite movement and hope to keep up momentum at least for a week, in hopes of forcing the government to make concessions.

BA said its flights to and from French airports will be affected, while certain airports in Spain and Switzerland will also face issues. It said the issues would run from Thursday until Saturday.

"Yet again industrial action in France will unfortunately cause unnecessary disruption for some of our customers travelling at this busy time," a statement from the airline said.

"We have had to cancel a number of flights but will be aiming to use larger aircraft where possible, on other services to help affected customers."

Meanwhile easyJet has reportedly cancelled more than 200 flights due to the issues.

"Some air traffic control staff are joining the strike action and therefore like all airlines, our flights to and from French airports, as well as those flying in French airspace, could be affected," the airline said.

RyanAir has also cancelled a number of flights, with the airline apologising to customers. It said those affected have been contacted by SMS and email.

Eurostar trains are seeing issues to, with disruption expected "along all routes", with a reduced timetable from December 5 to 10. The company said it had cancelled almost 100 services between Thursday and Tuesday next week.

The open-ended walkout by the country's unions represents the biggest challenge to Mr Macron since the yellow vest movement against economic inequality erupted a year ago.

Mr Macron says the reform, which will streamline a convoluted system of 42 special pension plans, will make the national pension system more fair and financially sustainable.

The government says it will not raise the official retirement age of 62 but the plan is expected to including financial conditions to encourage people to work longer.

Those most against the changes are workers in special categories like transport who can now retire earlier than 62.

So far the travel chaos is not deterring the government. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe plainly told the French in a nationwide address on Friday: "You're going to have to work longer."

He will present details of the plan next week. Philippe did offer one olive branch, saying the changes would be progressive so that they don't become "brutal."

Unions, however, see the plan as a threat to workers' rights and are digging in for a protracted strike. They also plan new nationwide retirement protests on Tuesday.

Many travellers were using technology and social networks to find ways around the transport strike - working from home, using ride-sharing apps and riding shared bikes or electric scooters.

But some were using technology to support the strike.

A group of activist gamers were raising money via a marathon session on the game-streaming site Twitch.

Their manifesto says: "In the face of powers-that-be who are hardening their line and the economic insecurity that is intensifying," they are trying to "occupy other spaces for mobilisation and invent other ways of joining the movement."

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