France strikes largest day: 600,000 join protests
More than 600,000 people joined rallies and marches across France on Thursday, according to the interior ministry, while the CGT union put the turnout at 1.57…
French unions brought more than 600,000 people into rallies and marches across France on Thursday, in what the interior ministry called a nationwide day of action over wages and public services. The CGT union estimated turnout at 1.57 million, as disruption hit schools, hospitals and public transport.
The competing figures mark France strikes largest day of protests so far in the current mobilisation, which began with student grievances and widened into anger over living costs and pay. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said he would convene unions and employers next Monday for a social conference.
The interior ministry reported that more than 600,000 people took part. The CGT said 1.57 million joined, calling the turnout “a level unmatched” since 2023 and pointing to large demonstrations in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lille.
The action put pressure on the government as unions sought a higher minimum wage and more funding for public services. It also reached beyond the streets: the Eiffel Tower and some exhibition rooms at the Louvre in Paris closed, while workers were asked to halt production at oil refineries. France was expected to import more electricity than it produced on Thursday because of disruption at nuclear plants.
What did the strikes disrupt?
Schools, hospitals and public transport reported disruption. Government figures put civil servants’ participation in the strikes at 9.89%.
The impact was tangible for people relying on public services and transport, while closures also affected visitors to major Paris attractions. The industrial action reached energy production too, with calls to stop work at refineries and disruption at nuclear plants.
Unions called on workers, pensioners and young people to join the coordinated action. They want an increase to the Smic, France’s minimum wage, which the source put at €12.31 (£10) an hour. CFDT leader Marylise Léon said the union was seeking a net monthly increase of €100.
“We are asking for a net increase of €100 a month,” Léon told reporters.
The protests grew from demonstrations at high schools over conditions and resources, then spread to universities, workers and a revived yellow-vest movement opposing high prices. Rising fuel costs became another point of tension.
The government has responded by releasing 10 million barrels of diesel from strategic reserves to bring down fuel costs. Ministers have also promised students a reform of the Parcoursup university admissions platform, with the aim of eventually replacing it by 2028.
How did the government respond?
Lecornu said the meeting planned for next Monday would address wages and purchasing power. He described the social conference as a forum with unions and employers to provide answers to those concerns.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had deployed 70,000 police and pledged “an extremely firm response” to possible violence. Some unrest was reported in several cities, including clashes between police and activists in Lyon. Tear gas was used to clear a square in Bordeaux, and clashes were also reported in Rennes.
A teenager was hurt in a stabbing involving a student at a blockade at a high school in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb north of Paris. The unrest remained below the scale of the previous major protest day on Saturday 17 October, when more than 2,000 stores were looted and historic buildings set on fire.
Thursday’s provisional turnout exceeded the figures for that earlier mobilisation: the interior ministry had counted 550,000 participants, while unions reported 800,000. The latest gap between official and union estimates now frames the scale of the pressure facing the government as Lecornu prepares to meet union and employer representatives next Monday.
