Protests involving hundreds of thousands of demonstrators spiraled into violence across France on Thursday, amid growing anger at President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies.
What started as student protests over education and deteriorating living conditions has since escalated into a nationwide revolt against soaring living costs and austerity measures, drawing in trade unions, pensioners, and Yellow Vest activists.
The Interior Ministry put Thursday’s turnout at around 600,000 – the largest since the unrest began in September – while the unions claimed nearly 1.6 million took part. Workers and students staged strikes across the country, demanding higher wages and pensions, better working conditions, increased funding for public services, and the scrapping of the government’s proposed 2027 austerity budget.
Schools, universities, and transportation services were disrupted. Police used tear gas and acoustic weapons against demonstrators. Clashes broke out in Paris and several other cities, including Lyon and Marseille, resulting in dozens of police officers injured and over 400 people arrested nationwide.
The unrest came just a day after France’s National Assembly unanimously rejected the deeply unpopular 2027 budget bill, which proposed sweeping spending cuts, dealing another blow to Macron’s embattled government. Protesters vowed to return to the streets this weekend. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will meet with union leaders on Monday amid the deepening crisis.
RT’s Yasin Eken reports from Paris on France’s mounting economic troubles, growing demands for reform, and the backlash against Macron’s policies.
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