Grote demonstraties in Frankrijk, Italië en Duitsland voor behoud sociale zekerheid (en)

Europe's pensioners took to the streets over the weekend to protest welfare reform plans and health cuts.

Pensioners in Rome, Berlin and Paris came out in their droves in the three capitals to demonstrate against the rise in the cost of living.

The protest in Germany, with about 400,000 people, was one of the largest since Chancellor Gerhard Schröder took office in 1998 and is the biggest demonstration since Agenda 2010 was unveiled - a package of labour market reforms and benefit cuts to kickstart the economy.

In Rome, pensioners arrived on busses, special trains and even boats from the island of Sardinia to demonstrate, reports the BBC.

In the French capital, where protests were smaller than in Italy and Germany, they demanded more jobs and social justice.