French students clashed with police in Paris on Thursday (March 31) as several hundreds marched against proposed labour reforms for the fourth time this month.

The day of protest has been billed by local media as a make-or-break test of strength for President Francois Hollande, plagued by low popularity and a jobless rate stuck stubbornly above 10 percent as mid-2017 elections loom.

The three protests to date have been low-key by the standards of past French strikes, but organisers hope to mobilise more people this time.

Protests turned violent in Paris in the morning as demonstrators clashed with police nearby highschools.

Demonstrators threw glass bottles and yellow painting at riot police who were standing by.