France hit by more protests, as workers go on strike

Flag-waving protesters yesterday marched through French cities and public workers went on strike, in a renewed challenge to French President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of unrest that have rattled his government five months before a presidential election.

The mobilization, called by trade unions including the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and backed by student groups, comes after demonstrations over living costs, public services and education triggered the worst civil unrest France has seen in years.

“We need to turn up in big numbers on the streets today,” CGT secretary-general Sophie Binet told LCI TV, saying protests were planned in 260 towns and cities across France.

People attend a demonstration as part of a nationwide day of strikes and protests in Marseille, France, yesterday.

Photo: Reuters

French high-school students and other demonstrators faced off against riot police in Paris as protesters blocked a street with trash bins yesterday morning.

Demonstrations began in the southern cities of Marseille and Lyon and in Nantes in the west in midmorning.

“High-school students, pensioners, students, workers, all together. Unity wins,” read one banner prepared for the protest in Lyon.

Some of those gathering in Lyon carried masks or safety glasses as a precaution against the use of tear gas by police.

Authorities have sought to lower tensions after riots and looting on Oct. 17 caught security forces off guard, leaving damaged shops and public buildings across the country and fueling criticism of Macron’s handling of the crisis.

French authorities were to deploy about 70,000 police nationwide. The domestic intelligence service expected 500,000 to 700,000 people to join demonstrations outside Paris.

The strike had already contributed to a reduction in France’s nuclear power output early yesterday, but no major problems were reported on the transportation network.

The French Ministry of National Education said it had expected 17.5 percent of public primary school teachers to strike.

Students say conditions in schools and growing uncertainty over their future remain major concerns.

“We’re trying to keep mobilizing as much as possible. Some people aren’t doing so because they’re afraid. A lot of people are afraid of police violence,” said Irma de Banville, a 19-year-old student protesting in Paris.

The French government has defended police tactics while saying any abuses would be investigated.

Macron convened a defense and security meeting on Wednesday ahead of the protests, underlining how a movement that began with student anger over deteriorating school conditions and concerns about opportunities for young people has evolved into a broader challenge to his government.

“The goal in the coming weeks is to get the river that overflowed back into its bed and to launch the presidential election in the calmest possible conditions,” an official close to Macron said, pointing to the lower number of high schools blockaded this week compared with earlier in the crisis.