Turnout drops again at French pension protest marches - ministry

Turnout at union-led French demonstrations against pension reform dropped sharply again on a fourth day of nationwide protests, Interior Ministry estimates showed.

The minister said that nationwide 452,000 people had marched on Thursday, including 56,000 in Paris. This compares to 615,000, including 76,000 in Paris, at the previous march on Dec. 17, and 339,000 on Dec. 10 and 806,000 on Dec 5.

Unions are organising a fifth day of nationwide demonstrations on Saturday.

(Reporting by Sophie Louet; Writing by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Chris Reese)