Protesters gather across France during general strike

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in cities throughout France on Thursday as part of a general strike organised by trade unions to protest against the cost of living and public service cuts. A total of 70,000 police officers were deployed to manage the demonstrations, which involved teachers, hospital staff, rail workers, and students.

Government estimates suggested that 600,000 people took part in the protests, while the CGT trade union claimed the number was closer to 1.6 million. In Bordeaux and Lyon, riot police used teargas, while in Paris, officers prevented students from creating barricades with wheelie bins and blocked access to the Hélène Boucher high school.

Rebecca, a 30-year-old social worker for children with disabilities, stated: “This is a historic protest movement but the government’s only real response has been to seriously crack down on it with police, so we had to come out on to the street today.” She added: “There are police everywhere, but where is the funding for other public services?”

President Emmanuel Macron is facing domestic challenges as his final months in office coincide with debates over a budget intended to address public debt, which is nearing 120% of economic output. Rail unions argued that these proposed cuts would increase poverty and reduce necessary environmental investment.

High school students continued their weeks-long campaign against poor learning conditions, with the government reporting 81 schools affected, while student unions estimated the figure at 1,000. Additionally, one-third of higher education sites were impacted by student blockades, and private school teachers joined their state counterparts in the strikes.

A 46-year-old psychiatric nurse from the south-eastern suburbs of Paris said: “We’ve got to protect public services. Hospital cuts are impacting the work we try to do with psychiatric patients.” The nurse further noted that staff are fatigued, overworked, and struggling with salaries that have not been properly reviewed for years.

A CGT train driver in Paris remarked: “It’s important that we also come out to demonstrate against the rise of the far right as the presidential election approaches.” Meanwhile, the Ligue des droits de l’Homme warned of an “authoritarian shift” and attempts to suppress dissent, a sentiment echoed by CGT head Sophie Binet, who described a “very dangerous authoritarian drift from the government.”

As the demonstrations continued, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that a meeting with business leaders and trade unions would be held next Monday to address salary and cost-of-living concerns.