On Thursday, France witnessed a nationwide wave of strikes and protests as citizens expressed their frustration with President Emmanuel Macron’s austerity measures, leading to significant disruptions throughout the country.
Public transportation ground to a halt, educational institutions closed their doors, and tens of thousands marched through city streets, with some demonstrations erupting into occasional confrontations with law enforcement.
Following his recent appointment, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu-Macron’s seventh since taking office-promised a “new direction” aimed at easing the mounting political unrest.
Despite these assurances, widespread dissatisfaction persists among labor unions and the general public, who remain vehemently opposed to the austerity agenda.
“The wealthy keep getting wealthier while the rest of us struggle,” remarked 64-year-old Lyon resident Bruno Cavalier, holding a sign that read, “Smile, you’re being taxed.”
The core of the discontent centers on a proposed €44 billion ($52 billion) budget-cutting plan introduced by Lecornu’s predecessor, Francois Bayrou.
Although Lecornu has pledged to eliminate lifelong benefits for former prime ministers and to drop a controversial proposal to reduce public holidays, protesters remain skeptical.
In response, authorities mobilized over 80,000 police officers and gendarmes, supported by drones, armored vehicles, and water cannons to maintain order.
By midday, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau reported that 76,500 demonstrators had already taken to the streets, describing the protests as “less intense than anticipated.” Nonetheless, officials expect total participation nationwide to range between 600,000 and 900,000.
Union leaders celebrated the scale of the mobilization, with CGT head Sophie Binet stating, “We have organized 260 demonstrations across the country, with thousands of strikes occurring in workplaces everywhere.”
Approximately one-sixth of teachers joined the strike, 90% of pharmacies were closed, and Paris commuters endured severe Metro service interruptions.
Law enforcement deployed tear gas to break up unauthorized assemblies in Paris and Marseille. In Lyon, clashes resulted in injuries to both a journalist and a police officer. Protesters in Lille obstructed bus depots, while hundreds of schoolchildren in Paris staged their own blockade, brandishing slogans such as “Shut down your school to fight austerity.”
“Our goal is to make the government understand that we’re fed up with excessive taxation and struggling to get by,” explained 58-year-old garbage collector Samuel Gaillard.
Hard-left figure Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused Macron in Marseille of being “the root of the turmoil,” highlighting the president’s waning approval ratings with just a year and a half remaining in his term.
This day of action represents the most significant challenge to Lecornu’s nascent leadership and marks the most substantial union-driven protest movement since last year’s massive demonstrations against Macron’s pension reforms.
