HUNDREDS of people opposed to a new law raising the retirement age by two years demonstrated directly against President Emmanuel Macron as he visited their town on Thursday.

Mr Macron’s trip to Ganges in the south of the country comes amid a concerted new effort by him and his government to move on from the furor caused by the pension reform.

Demonstrators sang what has become the anthem of the retirement protests: “We are here, we are here, even if Macron doesn’t want (us to be here), we are here.”

The French president was visiting a middle school, but the site was hit by a power cut protest by the local affiliate of the left-wing CGT union federation.

Police briefly used tear gas to disperse protesters who tried to storm barriers set up at the school.

Raising the retirement age has sparked months of protest. Opponents were further infuriated after Macron's government in March chose to use a special constitutional power to pass the reform without a vote in the National Assembly.

French unions say wealthy taxpayers or employers should pay for any pension reforms and have called for massive demonstrations across France against the new law on International Workers Day, May 1.