FRENCH protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s scheme to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 have taken on a new dimension with demonstrators making noise by banging kitchen saucepans.

The new protest, dubbed the “casserolade” began last week during a televised speech by Mr Macron. 

Protesters gathered in over 400 spots in front of town halls and in the streets of Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Strasbourg and beyond, in an effort to drown out his voice.

The pan-beating is set to be repeated this evening at the behest of Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions and for Citizens Action, an anti-capitalism activist group.

Reacting to the din, Mr Macron said: “It’s not saucepans that will make France move forward."

This led to French cookware manufacturer Cristel declaring on Twitter that it was now making stainless steel pans specifically to “advance” the nation.

Polls consistently show a majority of French people are opposed to the pension reform, which Mr Macron says is needed to keep the retirement system afloat as the population ages. 

Unions are planning a massive day of action next week on International Workers Day, May 1.