France sees largest day of protests in years amid economic discontent
Interior Ministry estimates up to 575,000 people took to the streets across France, with 65,000 in Paris, as unions demand higher wages and pensions.
France's interior ministry said at least 448 people were detained during Thursday's nationwide protests, while estimating up to 575,000 participants overall, including about 65,000 in Paris. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, though clashes occurred between police and groups described as radical and far-left activists in cities such as Rennes, Nantes, Lyon and Marseille. Firefighters responded to 86 fires, including a blaze that destroyed a school common room in Toulouse, which the education minister condemned as a deliberate act of arson.
The unrest, which began with a September strike by students and teachers in the Paris suburbs, has broadened to include trade unions and Yellow Vest protesters demanding higher wages, pensions and an increase in the minimum wage. "There is a lot of concern about the future, notably the issues of salaries, public services," said 18-year-old student Alice Martinovic to Reuters. Firefighter Mehdi Dumontroty added that pay has not kept up with inflation.
Labor unions, coordinated by the inter-union group L’intersyndicale, called for a nationwide strike, urging a 10% immediate rise in the minimum wage and a €100 monthly increase, while the CGT criticized the government's modest wage hike as insufficient. Student groups are also pressing for a substantial boost to the education budget and additional university places.
Authorities reported that “black bloc” participants were present in several cities, with police noting incidents in Lyon, Nantes and Paris. In Rennes, masked individuals vandalised a hotel and attacked union members, while in Lyon police used tear gas after clashes with protesters. Despite these incidents, the ministry said the marches proceeded smoothly overall.
The protests come ahead of a presidential election in April, where far-right candidate Marine Le Pen leads in the polls and has accused the far left of hijacking legitimate grievances. The interior minister warned that disorder would not be tolerated and that arrests would be made if necessary.