Aware of the risk to the country's image, the French authorities are scrambling to reach a pay deal with a number of public sector unions who are demanding bonuses for working during the Olympic Games from 26 July to 11 August. In Paris, several hundred civil servants gathered near the headquarters of the police force.

"The Olympics will be without us," the demonstrators chanted, holding flags and banners. Fabien Vanhemelryck, head of the Alliance trade union, warned that the protests were "only the beginning" if the authorities did not meet their demands.

"If we don't get the recognition we deserve for our investment, we won't be there. Several police unions had urged officers to show "minimum activity" on a so-called "Black Thursday" of protests.

"For an exceptional event, exceptional measures," Alliance wrote in a statement explaining how the unions wanted up to 2,000 euros ($2,200) for their members to compensate for lost holidays and extra work during the summer games.

In Strasbourg, about 40 police officers gathered in the pouring rain. They disrupted traffic at the entrance to the Pont de l'Europe, which links France and Germany. "All we know is that everyone has been asked to work," said officer Lionel Maunier, a regional Alliance union leader.

"But we've got children, some of us are also carers. We don't know how we're going to manage." At Paris's Charles-de-Gaulle airport, police went on strike at the start of the day, forcing passengers to wait for an extra hour, according to a source at the airport.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin met police representatives on Monday. A fund of around 500 million euros has been earmarked for the Games, sources close to the negotiations told AFP on condition of anonymity. Around 30,000 police officers are expected to be on duty during the Games. They will take place at the height of the summer holiday season in France. The Paralympics will take place after the Olympic Games from 28 August to 8 September.