Tens of thousands opposed to French legislation allowing gay marriage have protested on a route leading to the Champs Elysees after police banned them marching on the famed Paris avenue, reports The Australian.
The hugely controversial bill to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption has been comfortably adopted by the lower chamber of parliament and will go to the Senate for examination and approval in April.
The upper house is unlikely to prevent the groundbreaking reform from becoming law.
The protestors want the government to withdraw the project and put it to a referendum.
The demonstrators highlighted France's flagging economy, beset by mass layoffs and spiralling unemployment, attacking Socialist President Francois Hollande's government of ignoring pressing issues while pushing ahead with his election pledge of "Marriage for All".
Banners held up from balconies read "We want work not gay marriage" and "No to gayxtremism".
Read more of this report from The Australian.