French Unions Hold Nationwide Strikes and Protests Over Cost of Living

France deployed 70,000 police officers on Thursday as trade unions and students organized nationwide strikes and demonstrations demanding higher wages and increased public services funding.

Demonstrators marched in cities including Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseille. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced plans to convene a social conference with unions and employers on Monday. Riot police used tear gas and water cannons in Lyon and Bordeaux after clashes broke out, and a school near Toulouse sustained fire damage from a launched firework.

Protesters in Rennes threw metal pétanque balls at officers, while students in Paris attempted to set up blockades with wheelie bins. The mobilization followed an earlier wave of unrest in October involving property damage and looting. The French Interior Ministry estimated the turnout at 600,000 participants, while the left-wing CGT union stated that 1.57 million people participated.

Education officials reported that 17.5 percent of public primary school teachers joined the strike, and about a third of French high schools faced closures or operational disruptions due to student blockades and teacher walkouts. The United States Embassy issued a security alert ahead of the demonstrations advising travelers to prepare for disruptions. The demonstrations coincide with the final months of President Emmanuel Macron's term in office, five months before the presidential election scheduled for next May.