France's general strike turns tense as up to 1.6 million march and Lyon sees clashes

A union-led general strike brought hundreds of thousands of people onto France's streets on Thursday. The Interior Ministry counted about 600,000 protesters, while the CGT union claimed nearly 1.6 million. Police used water cannon and tear gas in Lyon, and the Eiffel Tower was closed for the day.

France came to a partial standstill on Thursday as a nationwide general strike called by the country's main trade unions sent workers, pensioners, teachers and students into the streets. Their demands were higher wages, better pensions, stronger public services and more money for schools. The day was the latest test for President Emmanuel Macron's government after weeks of unrest.

The two sides gave very different counts. The Interior Ministry said about 600,000 people had joined demonstrations across the country, Paris included, by 5 p.m. local time. The CGT, the hard-left union that led the organizing, said nearly 1.6 million had marched, 350,000 of them in the capital.

The footage shows French riot police pushing into crowds behind their shields and pinning several protesters to the ground during arrests. The government has defended police tactics but says any abuses will be investigated. Close to 8,000 people have been detained since the education protests began on Sept. 17.

70,000 officers on the streets

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had told reporters on Wednesday that more than 220 protests were expected nationwide. He said about 70,000 police and gendarmes would be on duty, supported by armored vehicles, drones and helicopters. Macron held a defense and security meeting the same day.

French riot police on duty during the nationwide strike

The ministry said in a 1 p.m. statement that police were "keeping the situation under control, but it remains tense." It also posted a warning on X: "Protesting is a right, but endangering others and damaging property cannot be tolerated." It reported mortar fire, blazes, road blockades and objects thrown at officers near high schools in Rennes, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Paris.

This video shows Paris police helicopters flying over the city to watch for unrest and possible looting during the protests. A Paris court had approved a march route set by the police prefecture, running from Place de la République to Place de la Nation. The strike also shut the Eiffel Tower to visitors for the day.

Students lead the blockades

High school and university students joined the strike after weeks of blockades of their own. In Paris they closed off Panthéon-Assas University and the Victor Hugo, Sophie Germain, Claude Monet, Hélène Boucher and Simone Weil high schools. Police fired tear gas outside the Honoré de Balzac high school, and officers used batons on students on rue de Rivoli. Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes, Lille and Strasbourg saw blockades too.

Near Toulouse, fireworks thrown at a high school in Tournefeuille started a fire that burned the student services office. Students and staff were evacuated. Education Minister Edouard Geffray wrote on X: "This criminal behavior is an absolute scandal." Student unions said more than 1,000 high schools were blockaded or closed; the Education Ministry put the figure at 81.

In this short clip, protesters in Lyon hurl paint at police officers. Before the strike, Geffray had announced that the government would drop 836 planned job cuts in public secondary schools and add 500 high school teaching posts. Class sizes are to be capped at 28 students in half of the high schools in the poorest areas from the 2027 school year, and in all high schools from 2028. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu set aside about $4.4 billion for local authorities to renovate schools.

Protesters with placards at Place de la République in Paris

"Nothing will stop us"

CGT leader Sophie Binet said before the Paris march that "the government tried to block the demonstrations. The demonstrations are bigger than ever." She added: "The message is, 'Nothing will stop us; the only thing that will end the mobilisation is a response to our demands.' The longer you wait, the higher the cost will be." The unions said in a joint statement that "everything is going up except wages and pensions" and that "anger is immense."

The video shows police in Lyon firing water cannon and tear gas at protesters. The Interior Ministry said officers there faced several hundred hardline protesters, some dressed in black with their faces covered. It said the violence was contained, though tension stayed high. In Paris the march began in a festive mood, but about two hours in, people at the front clashed with police, who fired tear gas.

A test before the presidential race

The protests come five months before a presidential election. Macron is barred from a third term and leaves office in May. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X: "The social crisis must find political answers, and we will provide them." Center-left candidate Raphaël Glucksmann marched in Paris and told reporters, "This country needs justice. We are going to bring the French people back together." Some activists booed him on arrival. Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon also took part.

This clip shows a car in flames during the Lyon protests. Rubbish bins were also set alight in several cities. The movement began as a protest over staff shortages at Antoine de Saint-Exupéry High School in Créteil, outside Paris. It spread to schools across the country and grew into a wider revolt over living costs and public services. The Education Ministry said 17.5% of public primary school teachers were expected to strike, and the stoppage also cut output at nuclear power plants.

Videos: ConflictTR / X. Photos: Anadolu Agency

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