Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in French cities on Thursday to protest against wage increases and the cost of living. These movements have emerged following widespread protests held on October 17 regarding education and rising living costs.
Police Preparedness for Protests
Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, announced that around 70,000 police and security personnel will be deployed across the country to manage these protests. Unions have stated that approximately 260 gatherings are planned nationwide, with estimates suggesting that between 500,000 to 700,000 people will participate in these protests, including about 80,000 in Paris.
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Clashes and Violence in Some Areas
The protests began in southern cities such as Marseille and Lyon, as well as Nantes in western France, on Thursday morning. An official close to the interior minister stated that most gatherings have been peaceful, but violence has occurred in some areas like Lyon, Nantes, Pau, Orléans, Rennes, and Toulouse. Authorities in Brittany also reported that "masked individuals" attempted to block roads in the city of Rennes.
News agencies reported that a high school near Toulouse was set on fire. The main gathering in Paris began at 2:00 PM local time, where high school students and other protesters faced riot police in the capital on Thursday morning.
Unions representing public and private education employees have called for workers to leave their workplaces, and unions related to railway workers, public hospitals, and postal services have joined the strike. These unions are demanding an increase in the minimum wage, general wage increases, tax reforms, and improved educational conditions for youth.
According to reports, the Eiffel Tower has also been closed due to these strikes. Additionally, the state railway operator SNCF expects only minor disruptions to long-distance services. It is still unclear what impact the strike announced by air traffic controllers will have on air traffic.
Although recent protests led by students have mostly been peaceful, some clashes with police have also been observed, where police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds.
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