A union chief said that a "show of force" was necessary to secure more funding

Hundreds of firefighters have taken to the streets in the French city of Lille, protesting low pay and grueling work conditions. Police attempting to hold them back were punched, kicked, and hosed down with fire extinguishers.

Around 600 firefighters took part in Thursday's demonstration, French media reported. After assembling at a fire station in Lille, they marched to the headquarters of the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS), lighting flares and setting bonfires along the route.

Labor unions claim that France's Nord region is short more than 100 firefighters and that those on shift are forced to handle double the workload.

Riot police initially dropped their shields and allowed the protesters to approach the SDIS building. However, heavily armored officers attempted to disperse the crowd after the firefighters trashed the lobby of the building and set tire fires outside.

The firefighters pushed back against the police, punching and shoving and forcing them to retreat into a parking garage. Firefighters sprayed the officers with fire extinguishers, and the melee was eventually broken up when the police used tear gas and batons on the crowd. 

The protest achieved its goals. SDIS representatives met with union leaders shortly after the clashes, promising to hire an additional 50 firefighters. "Surprisingly, they found a way to save money and access the necessary funding," a union secretary told Ici radio. "It took a show of force to get what we wanted." 

Thursday's protest was the latest in an ongoing series of strikes, demonstrations, and riots to hit France in recent months. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets in September to protest planned budget cuts, after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's government lasted a mere 14 hours before collapsing. Lecornu formed a second government the following month, which set off another wave of demonstrations.

French President Emmanuel Macron faced calls to resign over his failure to appoint a stable government, and over his efforts to pass deeply unpopular austerity measures. Following the second round of protests in October, his approval rating fell to a record low of 11%.