PARIS (AP) — Some 20 police officers and 6 protesters were injured in Paris Tuesday as demonstrators protesting a contested French labor reform threw projectiles at police officers, who responded with tear gas.

Seven unions and student organizations planned the protests against the proposed law to loosen labor rules which saw crowds in central Paris swell into the tens of thousands.

Paris police official Johanna Primevert said that in addition to the 26 injured, some 21 people were detained during the day’s action against the law that is being debated in the Senate.

Protesters set out from southeast Paris heading for the Invalides plaza.Street protests also took place in other parts of France and rail workers and taxi drivers were on strike.In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed Tuesday because the operators said they could not guarantee public safety and taxi drivers temporarily blocked some of the city’s main access roads in the morning.In a separate protest, Air France pilots were striking to demand better working conditions. About 20 percent of all Air France’s flights were canceled, according to the company.At the Eiffel Tower, an electronic board was indicating “Monument closed – National strike.””That’s a shame for tourists because we didn’t just come for the Euros but also the sightseeing,” said Petlev Schultz, a German tourist who came to Paris to attend the European soccer tournament.”We’ve found out there are strikes everywhere,” he added. “We are looking into finding ways to still experience the beautiful city.”

Source: News from The Associated Press