French unions lead national strike as protests over cost of living sweep country

PARIS · More than 250,000 people took to the streets in nearly 70 French towns and cities on Thursday as a coalition of five unions launched a national day of strike action. The protests, which began in September over poor conditions in high schools, have expanded to include workers and the revived yellow-vest movement, all criticizing the rising cost of living. Sophie Binet of the CGT union said the turnout by early afternoon was "just the start" of a major mobilization. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez deployed 70,000 police officers, vowing "an extremely firm response" to any violence. Binet told reporters at the start of a march in central Paris that protesters had "just reached a new level in their mobilisation" and were demanding immediate answers from the government. The unions have vowed to take the wave of protests "to the next level" as part of a campaign for higher wages to combat inflation and protect public services. They announced more than 250 separate actions across the public and private sectors.

The unions are specifically seeking a rise in the minimum wage, known as the Smic, which is currently €12.31 an hour. Marylise Léon, head of the CFDT union, said the demand was broader. "We are asking for a net increase of €100 a month," she said. A coalition of unions had urged workers, pensioners and young people to join the strikes to intensify pressure on the government.

The strike caused widespread disruption across France. The education ministry said 16% of teachers had walked out, while unions reported that more than one in four high schools, which cater to students aged 15 to 18, were affected, along with a vast majority of universities. Public transport, hospitals and schools faced disruptions, and the Eiffel Tower and some exhibition rooms at the Louvre museum in Paris were forced to close. Workers were asked to halt production at oil refineries, and France was expected to import more electricity than it produced on Thursday due to disruption at nuclear power plants. The CFDT leader said she would be happy if 800,000 people turned out across the country, with large numbers expected in the capital.

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The government has attempted to appease public anger over rising prices by releasing 10 million barrels of diesel from strategic reserves to lower fuel costs. Ministers have also promised to reform the unpopular Parcoursup university admissions platform, with plans to replace it by 2028. Thursday's march in Paris was eventually allowed in the city centre, but not on the route proposed by the unions between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Concorde, which would have passed near key government buildings. Instead, it followed a route from Place de la République to Place de la Nation. The CFDT union complained that getting court approval for the route only on Wednesday evening made organizing the march more difficult.

Union leaders have complained that recent marches were kept away from central Paris due to violence that broke out in towns and cities on Oct. 17, which led to more than 2,000 stores being looted and historic buildings set on fire. Some unrest was reported early Thursday afternoon in Lyon, where a car was set alight in incidents blamed on hundreds of people belonging to the radical left-wing "black bloc." Nuñez said the police deployment on Thursday would be on a similar scale to the last major mobilization at the weekend, which passed with relatively little violence. The interior minister cited three potential risks: radical left "black blocs" groups, looting and wildcat marches without union authorization. Meanwhile, the revived yellow-vest movement, which staged a revolt against the high cost of living several years ago, has called for further blockades and protests on Friday and Saturday.

With files from Yahoo News, BBC News and BBC