Paris: Tuesday, French union activists marched on the Paris Olympics headquarters and slowed down traffic at Orly Airport in the city in an effort to rekindle opposition to raising the retirement age.

However, fewer people joined the last-ditch effort than at the movement's zenith earlier this year, and even some union leaders appeared ready to give up.

President Emmanuel Macron's decision to force the measure through parliament without a vote and raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 sparked some of the largest protests France has seen in years. Although more than 500,000 people attended the most recent large-scale demonstrations against the pension reform on May 1 in Paris alone, the level of rage has decreased since then.

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A third of flights at Paris' Orly Airport were cancelled on Tuesday as a result of strikes, and about 10% of trains throughout France experienced delays. To commemorate the 14th day of nationwide protest against the pension reform since January, there were approximately 250 marches, rallies, and other actions planned across the nation.

In the Saint-Denis neighbourhood of Paris, a small group of CGT union activists from the hard left forced their way inside the 2024 Olympics headquarters while yelling anti-Macron chants.

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Mild unrest in Paris erupted when people began throwing objects at police and vandalising bus shelters close to a restaurant on the Left Bank. The crowds were quickly dispersed by police.

Before beginning their march to southeast Paris, thousands of people gathered along the Seine River embankments near the monument with a gold dome known as Invalides. The quiet crowd chanted, beat drums, and waved union flags as they clamoured for the repeal of the pension law and a lower retirement age.

According to local public broadcaster France Bleu, union activists marched on train tracks in the western city of Rennes before being redirected by police.

According to Macron, the retirement system needed to be funded as the population ages. In response, unions and left-leaning opponents have argued for higher taxes on the wealthy and employers, claiming that the changes harm lower-paid workers.

After Tuesday's actions, Laurent Berger, the moderate CFDT union's outgoing leader, declared that "we will continue to contest the retirement reform, but it will take on a different form."

Sophie Binet, the head of the CGT, told reporters at the Paris march that additional protests are "probable," but she also said it was time to discuss other issues like working conditions or corporate tax evasion.

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Before a potential Thursday parliamentary debate on a bill that seeks to repeal the new retirement age, the protest organisers hope to mobilise support.

The legislation to raise the retirement age to 62 was put forth by legislators from the moderate opposition group LIOT. But even before it is debated on the parliamentary floor, it has encountered obstacles. Despite not having a majority in the National Assembly, Macron's centrist party has teamed up with the Republicans party to thwart the opposition's plans.