Demonstrators filled the streets of cities across France on Thursday during a one-day strike by public sector workers. It was the latest test for President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of unrest over the cost of living and the state of public services.
The marches were largely peaceful, according to Reuters, but police fired tear gas in Paris and Lyon after scuffles with protesters.
Students, teachers and energy workers join in
The day began with a confrontation in Paris. High school students blocked a street with rubbish bins and faced riot police on Thursday morning. In the afternoon, the main union march set off from the Place de la République.
Demonstrations also took place in Marseille and Nantes. In Lyon, Euronews reported that up to 55,000 people took part. Teachers, energy workers and students all joined the action, and the Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors.
The strike left a mark on essential services. It contributed to lower nuclear power output early in the day, and the Education Ministry said just over 15 per cent of teaching staff were on strike.
Schools damaged
Not all of the day’s events were peaceful. Reports said fireworks set a high school near Toulouse ablaze, and several high schools in the Paris area were damaged. One of them, in the capital’s centre, was also set on fire.
The government defended the police response and said any abuses would be investigated. Such assurances are likely to be tested in coming days as video footage of the clashes circulates.
The backdrop: October’s riots
The protests come after riots on 17 October caught security forces off guard. Shops and public buildings were damaged across the country, and the violence fuelled criticism of how Macron’s government handled the situation. Demonstrations over living costs, public services and education have since produced what Reuters described as the worst civil unrest in France in years.
Macron’s administration has been trying to avoid a repeat of that night. Thursday’s heavy police presence suggested that lesson had been learned, even if the scale of the turnout showed how much anger remains.
An economic squeeze
The strike also arrives at a difficult economic moment. Eurozone inflation reached 4 per cent in October, its highest level in more than three years, driven mainly by energy. In France, fresh food was 8 per cent more expensive than a year earlier, according to the national statistics office, INSEE.
For households already stretched by rising prices, the argument that public services are being squeezed has particular force. For teachers and other public employees, the question is whether pay and funding can keep pace with the cost of living.
Education at the heart of the dispute
Students joined the walkouts to demand more funding for schools. Banners carried by pupils in Paris called out their frustration. Their involvement gave Thursday’s action a younger face than a typical union day of protest and made it harder for the government to treat the movement as a narrow labour dispute.
What comes next
The government’s room for manoeuvre is limited. Public finances are under strain, and concessions on pay or funding would have to be paid for somewhere. Yet a refusal to engage risks pushing more people into the streets.
Whether unions and student groups will call further days of action was not clear on Thursday evening. The scale of the turnout, together with the damage to schools, has raised the stakes for both sides. Observers will be watching closely to see whether the government offers talks or holds its line.
