Hundreds of thousands of striking workers have protested across France against the rising cost of living following weeks of youth-led demonstrations, with police firing tear gas as clashes broke out in some cities.
The marches come as the eurozone’s second-largest economy battles to redress its dire finances, six months ahead of elections to replace President Emmanuel Macron, with the far right leading in the opinion polls.
While the CGT union put the turnout at 1.6 million across France, the Interior Ministry said 575,000 people had taken part, revising downwards an earlier estimate of 600,000. It said 60,000 had marched in Paris.
So far, 448 people had been arrested and 53 officers had been injured in clashes with protesters, the statement added.
“The question today is not whether we’re going to win” but rather “how much we’re going to win”, CGT union leader Sophie Binet told the Paris rally.
Growing social movement
The strike comes on the back of a wave of student anger that has swept across the continent, with young people from Germany and Spain to Greece and Italy following suit with similar protests in recent weeks.
The high school student movement, begun by youths sounding the alarm over their poor learning conditions, has coincided with widespread outrage over the rising cost of living and inequality.
A previous day of protest in October ended up seeing the worst rioting France has seen in years.
Now the unions are calling for across-the-board wage raises and tax reforms, while complaining about police restrictions on certain protests.
Although the marches were largely peaceful, skirmishes between protesters and police broke out in some cities including Lyon, where at least one vehicle was torched and tear gas was fired.
Winegrower Martin Thiberge said he wanted to take part in the demonstrations drawing together people from across French society.
“We want to make a living from our work, to make a dignified wage,” he said at the Lyon protest.
In Marseille, 31-year-old social worker Lea told AFP that she was “fed up with counting every cent”.
“This social movement has given us hope,” she added.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, popular among tourists, were closed.
School blockades
The Government reported blockades at 81 out of the country’s 3700 high schools, while a student association said classes had been suspended at 1000 secondary schools as a result of the demonstrations.
Around 16% of teachers nationwide were on strike, the education ministry said.
Public and private education unions had called for strike action, as well as unions representing rail workers, public hospitals and postal services.
At the capital’s Montparnasse train station, a psychologist who gave her name as Jeanne said her trip had been delayed.
“It’s tedious to get up early, wait, and then see your train cancelled, but it’s understandable there’s a strike,” she said.
Police brutality investigated
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that 70,000 police officers and security forces would be deployed across the country, promising “an extremely firm response” to any violence or disorder.
The police response has been criticised as heavy-handed and internal police investigations have been launched over allegations of brutality.
Several teenage protesters have been seriously wounded and thousands arrested.
An attempted murder investigation has been launched after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces in Paris.
- AFP