🔴 French protests live: Police fire teargas at demonstrators in cities including Toulouse, Lyon

BREAKING: French police fire teargas at demonstrators in Lyon, Lille, Toulouse and Nantes as nationwide anti-austerity protests turn violent, with 135 arrested.

France's day of protest has turned violent, with teargas fired in at least four major cities.

Police used gas, water cannon and stun grenades against demonstrators in Lyon, Lille, Toulouse and Nantes, and you can see the scenes here, riot lines pushing through clouds of gas as crowds held the streets.

In Nantes, thousands set off from the Île de Nantes and tried to cross the Loire into a city centre where all gatherings had been banned. Police blocked the bridge, so they crossed by another one and reached the centre anyway, met with round after round of teargas. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had warned hours earlier that no violence would be tolerated. By then the government was already reporting weapons seized and 135 people arrested.

The marches bring together Yellow Vests, trade unions and students, all angry over the cost of living and cuts to public services. A hundred and thirty five arrests, and the day is not over.

This is Angel Manalo, reporting for HIT.