Domestic
Protests in France Against Public Sector Austerity Measures
More than 300,000 people participated in over 170 demonstrations across France organized by trade unions to oppose government austerity measures and issues within the education sector. The protests, which included educators, students, public transport workers, firefighters, and healthcare staff, targeted proposed salary freezes for civil servants, high workloads, large class sizes, and teacher shortages. While union CGT reported significant turnout, including 70,000 in Paris, previous days saw violent incidents at schools resulting in 164 arrests and 27 injuries. French Interior Minister Nuñez characterized recent unrest as pure violence, whereas Premier Lecornu accused the radical-left party La France Insoumise of inciting it. LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon countered that security forces used disproportionate force, a claim supported by firefighter unions who expressed anger over safety concerns during recent wildfires.
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