France reports 448 arrests as 53 police officers injured in protests
“French authorities reported more than 400 arrests and over 50 injured police officers on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of people joined nationwide protests over wages and the rising cost of living…”
The interior ministry said the national tally at 6pm showed 448 arrests, 53 injured law enforcement officers and 86 fire incidents. It described the authorised processions as having generally proceeded smoothly and remained largely peaceful while noting tensions in Paris, Lyon, Rennes and Toulouse.
The ministry estimated that 575,000 people took part across France, including 65,000 in Paris, revising downward an earlier provisional figure of nearly 600,000. The CGT union put the nationwide turnout at nearly 1.6 million, with 350,000 in the capital.
CGT Secretary-General Sophie Binet said the strike was “extremely effective” and called on the government to respond to workers’ demands. Read:Nearly 600,000 demonstrate across France in biggest turnout of protest movement“Nothing will stop us,” she said during the Paris demonstration, urging wage increases for all workers and a 10% rise in the minimum wage.
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Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that a “social conference” with trade unions and employers’ organisations would be held at Matignon on Monday,. The nationwide strike also disrupted schools and universities. The Higher Education Ministry reported disruptions at 60 of 184 institutions, while the SNES-FSU union put strike participation among middle and high school staff at 52%.
Police intervened against student blockades in several cities, including Paris and Bordeaux, local media reported. The protests come amid a student movement that began in mid-September over education conditions, funding, and staffing.
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