Over 5,00,000 Protest In France Against Macron's Austerity Policies
French protesters were on Thursday staging a day of nationwide disruption in a show of anger over President Emmanuel Macron's budget policies, with mass protests expected, transport chaos and clashes between police and demonstrators.
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France:
Across France on Thursday, hundreds of thousands of citizens took to the streets to express their discontent with President Emmanuel Macron's austerity measures, causing significant disruption to public services nationwide.
Responding to calls from labor unions, protesters orchestrated a day of nationwide action that paralyzed public transportation, shuttered schools, and filled streets with demonstrations that occasionally erupted into confrontations with law enforcement.
The leftist CGT union claimed that demonstration participation exceeded one million people throughout the country.
French officials, whose estimates typically fall considerably below union figures, reported that more than 500,000 individuals participated in protests nationwide, with 55,000 in Paris alone.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who became Macron's seventh government head since 2017, promised a departure from previous approaches in an attempt to ease the escalating political tensions after assuming office last week.
However, the selection of the 39-year-old former defense minister and close Macron ally has failed to pacify the frustration felt by unions and many French citizens.
Numerous protesters specifically targeted Macron, who has only 18 months remaining in office and is experiencing historically low approval ratings.
Protest signs called for his resignation, while demonstrators in Nice tossed an effigy of Macron into the air.
Sophie Larchet, a 60-year-old civil servant protesting in Paris, explained her participation: "We've had enough, he's tormenting France," she told AFP.
Herve Renard, a 57-year-old union activist, remarked: "Macron-Napoleon is listening to no one," drawing parallels to France's former emperor.
Many participants voiced concerns about the widening divide between ordinary citizens and elites, arguing that the government's austerity proposals would disproportionately impact the most vulnerable.
"Every day the richest get richer and the poor get poorer," said Bruno Cavalier, 64, in Lyon, France's third-largest city, carrying a sign reading "Smile, you are being taxed."
'Thousands Of Strikes' Protesters remain outraged about the budget proposal from Lecornu's predecessor Francois Bayrou, which included measures intended to save 44 billion euros ($52 billion).
Lecornu has attempted to defuse tensions by promising to eliminate lifetime benefits for former prime ministers and abandon a widely criticized plan to eliminate two public holidays.
More than 80,000 police officers were deployed, supported by drones, armored vehicles, and water cannon.
Over 180 people have been detained.
With unions calling for strikes in an unusual display of solidarity, approximately one in six primary and secondary school teachers participated in the walkout, while nine out of 10 pharmacies remained closed.
Commuters experienced major disruptions on the Paris Metro, where only the three automated driverless lines maintained normal operations.
Trade unions expressed satisfaction with the protest turnout.
"We have recorded 260 demonstrations across France," said Sophie Binet, CGT union leader. "There are thousands and thousands of strikes in all workplaces."
'Fed Up'In Paris and Marseille, police deployed tear gas to disperse early, unauthorized demonstrations. In Marseille, an AFPTV reporter captured footage of an officer kicking a protester on the ground, while police reported confrontations with "hostile" demonstrators.
In Lyon, both a France TV journalist and a police officer sustained injuries during clashes between law enforcement and masked youths at the front of a rally.
On the periphery of Lille in northern France, protesters participated in an early morning action blocking bus depots.
"We're fed up with being taxed like crazy," stated Samuel Gaillard, a 58-year-old garbage truck driver.
Even students participated, with pupils blocking access to Maurice Ravel secondary school in eastern Paris, displaying messages such as "block your school against austerity".
Officials indicated that Thursday's action was expected to be the most widely supported day of union-organized protests and strikes since the months-long mobilization in early 2023 opposing Macron's widely condemned pension age increase, which the government forced through parliament without a vote.