PARIS (AP) The Eiffel Tower shut down Thursday, Frances vaunted high-speed trains stood still and teachers walked off the job as unions launched nationwide strikes and protests over the governments plan to overhaul the retirement system.

Paris authorities barricaded the presidential palace and deployed 6,000 police for whats expected to be a major demonstration through the capital, an outpouring of anger at President Emmanuel Macron for his centerpiece reform, seen as threatening the hard-fought French way of life .

The Louvre Museum and other sites warned of strike disruptions, and Paris hotels struggled to fill rooms. Many visitors including the U.S. energy secretary canceled plans to travel to one of the worlds most-visited countries amid the strike.

Unprepared tourists discovered historic train stations standing empty Thursday, with about nine out of 10 of high-speed TGV trains canceled. Signs at Paris Orly Airport showed canceled notices, as the civil aviation authority announced 20% of flights were grounded.