Paris police fire tear gas at protesters on May Day

Police fired tear gas at rowdy protesters on the sidelines of a May Day workers' march in Paris.

Scores of hooded youth threw Molotov cocktails at security forces who fired back with tear gas during the march on Monday.

The annual march to celebrate workers' rights this year included calls to block far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen from winning the presidency during a runoff election on Sunday.

French CRS riot police protect themselves from flames during clashes at the traditional May Day labour union march
in Paris, France, May 1, 2017 (Reuters)

Riot police surrounded the protesters disrupting the march after isolating most of them from the rest of the crowd near the Place de la Bastille. However, some continued to lob firebombs that exploded into flames in the street.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the incidents.

* A hooded youth walks through tear gas during the May Day demonstration, Monday May 1, 2017, in Paris. Paris police are firing tear gas at rowdy protesters on sidelines of May Day workers' march. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Two officers were hurt in clashes between riot police and masked youths during a May 1 march in Paris on Monday that carried extra significance six days before the presidential election run-off.

"Masked individuals threw objects and Molotov cocktails at police" who responded by firing teargas "and two riot police officers were injured", authorities said.

Molotov cocktails are thrown at police as clashes erupt between protesters and French anti-riot police during a May Day demonstration against French far-right in Paris, France, 01 May 2017. Thousands of people demonstrated against the presence of Far-right Front National (FN) party candidate Marine Le-Pen for the second turn of the presidential elections. (EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson)

One French police officer was seriously burnt and two others injured in clashes at a May Day demonstration in Paris on Monday in which protesters threw Molotov cocktails and other missiles, the police said.

Television pictures showed policemen trying to shake flames from their riot gear, and of tear gas enveloping the streets around Paris' Bastille monument.

Protesters flee when cornered by police as clashes erupt between protesters and French anti-riot police during a May Day demonstration against French far-right in Paris, France, 01 May 2017. Thousands of people demonstrated against the presence of Far-right Front National (FN) party candidate Marine Le-Pen for the second turn of the presidential elections. (EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson)

This year's May Day came less than a week ahead of the final round of a presidential election where voters must choose between the far-right National Front's Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron.

Some trade unionists and left-wing activists sought to make the day one of national solidarity against the National Front, mirroring protests in 2002 when Le Pen's father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, was a candidate.

French CRS anti-riot police officers are engulfed in flames as they face protesters during a march for the annual May Day workers' rally in Paris on May 1, 2017. (AFP / Zakaria Abdelkafi)

Marine Le Pen tweeted her support for the injured policemen and said the incident was the type of unacceptable behaviour that she no longer wanted to see on French streets.

Protesters are cornered by police as clashes erupt between protesters and French anti-riot police during a May Day demonstration against French far-right in Paris, France, 01 May 2017. Thousands of people demonstrated against the presence of Far-right Front National (FN) party candidate Marine Le-Pen for the second turn of the presidential elections. (EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson)