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French police took to the streets in about 60 cities on May 18 to denounce the hatred and violence they say has been repeatedly directed at them during protests against the government's labor reforms, Associated Press reports.

According to the source, in some places they faced counter-protesters, who said the police themselves were instigating the violence.

In Paris, a few hundred police officers gathered on the Republic Plaza during their lunch break. Several hundred counter-demonstrators came by, chanting slogans like "Everybody hates the police!" and pushing up against the officers until eventually the police deployed pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Some counter-protesters set fire to a police car in a street nearby, according to the source.
An investigation for attempted homicide was filed, Paris police chief Michel Cadot said. One officer was hospitalized.

French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday that more than 350 police officers have been injured in clashes and 60 people have been convicted amid the labor reform protests.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve offered his "full support" to police following the weekly Cabinet meeting. He said the police have instructions to take "firm action" against those involved in violent clashes.
The clashes started after the government had used emergency constitutional powers to push through controversial labor law reforms, including a loosening of the maximum 35-hour working week and a cap on redundancy payments, avoiding a parliamentary vote it would almost certainly have lost – a move that has sparked even greater opposition, The Guardian reports.