Protests over spending cuts and demands for higher taxes on the wealthy disrupted life across France on Thursday, forcing the closure of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Thousands of workers, retirees, and students marched from Place d’Italie, joining rallies in more than 200 towns and cities nationwide. The iconic Paris landmark informed visitors it would remain closed for the day due to the strike action.
The demonstrations, organised by France’s main unions, are part of a broader wave of unrest that began last month amid political uncertainty and tense budget negotiations. Union leaders are calling on Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to scrap austerity measures proposed in a draft budget, including freezes on social welfare that critics argue would hit low- and middle-income workers hardest, while urging higher taxes on the rich.
Lecornu, appointed just last month, has yet to announce the specifics of his budget or appoint government ministers. France’s divided parliament is expected to debate the budget bill before the year’s end, with unions signalling more protests if their demands are ignored.
“It’s true, it’s the first time that there are three days of strikes and protests in a month without a government or budget. It shows the level of social anger," AP quoted Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union.
Speaking on BFM TV news broadcaster, she was asked about the timing of the latest action: “Why are we protesting now? Because we feel that it’s now that the decisions are being made, and we want to be heard.”
The French Interior Ministry said 195,000 protesters have taken to the street across the country including 24,000 in Paris.
SNCF, the national rail company, said high-speed train services were running normally Thursday while some regional lines were affected by partial disruptions. In Paris, metro traffic was close to normal but many commuting trains were running at reduced capacity.
Some teachers and health care workers have also joined the strikes, but overall, figures appeared to show less people responded to the unions’ call than last month.
On Sept. 18, more than 500,000 demonstrators marched in France’s small towns and big cities, including Paris, according to figures from the police and interior ministry. Unions reported more than one million strikers and protesters nationwide.
The week before, a day of anti-government action across France saw streets choked with smoke, barricades in flames and volleys of tear gas amid the “Block Everything” campaign.
(With AP Inputs)
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