'Fed Up' With 'Austerity': Large Protests Sweep Across France — First Clashes With Police Reported
'Fed Up' With 'Austerity': Large Protests Sweep Across France — First Clashes With Police Reported
French trade unions are calling for nationwide strikes and demonstrations to oppose the budget measures announced this summer, described as "brutal."
Latest updates:
▪476 actions or demonstrations took place across France on Thursday morning, the police said;
▪135 blockades recorded, 11 lifted;
▪By noon, 94 people had been arrested — 15 in Paris — and 32 placed in custody;
▪Authorities expect more than 800,000 demonstrators;
▪80,000 police and gendarmes deployed, supported by drones and water cannons, according to outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau;
▪22 high schools blocked or attempted to be blocked; nearly all pharmacies on strike today;
▪Public transport is reportedly disrupted, especially in Paris, where most metro and suburban trains will run only during peak hours;
▪Since this morning, around 100 people have blocked the Eurolinks arms factory — known for manufacturing submunitions for Israel, a French MP said;
▪The SUD Rail trade union members occupied the Ministry of Economy and Finance at Bercy in Paris;
▪The resigning Interior Minister mentioned a foiled attempt at “sabotage” of a water network in Martinique;
▪Clashes erupted in Lyon and Nantes; after being shelled, the police responded with tear gas. In Lyon, three were injured, including one officer.
Footage from social media
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