Nationwide strikes and protests are widening in France amid discontent over rising living costs and social problems. Hundreds of thousands of people have joined the actions organised by trade unions.
Globalinfo.az reports that this was stated in a report by The Associated Press.
According to the report, more than 200 demonstrations were held across the country on November 5.
France’s Interior Ministry announced that more than 600,000 people took part in the actions. The CGT trade union, for its part, claims that the number of participants reached 1.6 million.
Protesters are demanding higher wages and pensions, lower living costs and increased funding for the education system. The actions covered more than 260 cities and settlements.
The situation escalated in a number of cities during the protests. Clashes between demonstrators and police broke out in Lyon, and law enforcement officers used tear gas to break up the action. A fire was recorded at one of the schools near Toulouse.
The tensions also affected the organisation of international events. A meeting of G7 foreign ministers planned in France for November 9-10 has been moved from Marseille to Paris. The official explanation said the decision was linked to the organisation of logistics and security resources.
It should be noted that protests in France have been continuing for several weeks. The discontent, which began initially as student actions, later developed into a broader protest movement over wages, pensions, social security and living costs.
Tahir Turan
Globalinfo.az
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