France hit by protests over the rising cost of living
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Africanews
Workers, students and unions demonstrated in several French cities to demand higher wages, fairer taxation and better public services. In Lyon, clashes led to six arrests, while Paris saw major transport disruptions and the closure of several schools, according to Africa News.
France experienced a national day of strikes and demonstrations against the rising cost of living on Thursday 5 November, with demands concerning wages, tax justice and public services. Unions had planned around 250 gatherings and filed more than 1,100 strike notices, while 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were mobilised, according to Africanews.
In Lyon, more than 25,000 people took part in the march, according to organisers. Police reported clashes with around 500 demonstrators after projectiles were thrown and pallets were set on fire. Six people were arrested, the four metro lines and two funiculars were halted, and the demonstration was pushed back after 600 metres.
In Paris, unions marched from République to Nation after the courts rejected their initial route between Bastille and Concorde. Authorities expected between 40,000 and 80,000 participants. Twenty-five metro stations were closed, bus and tram routes were diverted and around 80 schools closed. Police also intervened outside Hélène Boucher secondary school, where pupils had blocked the entrance with rubbish bins.
The mobilisation follows the mass demonstrations expected against Macron, announced on 5 November, after several days of protests against the rising cost of living, including those on 1 November marked by hundreds of thousands of demonstrators.
