PARIS — Five labor unions launched a national strike Thursday, bringing together high school students, workers and activists to protest rising costs of living. By early afternoon, more than 250,000 people had demonstrated in nearly 70 towns and cities.
Sophie Binet, leader of the CGT union, told reporters in central Paris that the turnout marked "just the start" of the protests and that participants "reached a new level in their mobilisation and were demanding immediate answers."
The unions, representing both public and private sectors, announced over 250 separate actions calling for higher wages to counter inflation and to protect public services.
Disruptions were widespread. Schools, hospitals and public transport shut down. The Eiffel Tower and exhibition rooms at the Louvre museum closed.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez deployed 70,000 police officers nationwide. Early Thursday afternoon, unrest in Lyon saw a car set alight, with authorities attributing the incident to individuals associated with the radical left-wing black bloc.
Energy production faltered as workers halted output at oil refineries. France was projected to import more electricity than it produced Thursday due to disruptions at nuclear plants.
The unions are demanding an increase in the minimum wage, the Smic, which currently stands at 12.31 euros an hour. Marylise Léon, head of the CFDT union, said workers were seeking a net increase of 100 euros a month across wage scales.
The government released 10 million barrels of diesel from strategic reserves to lower fuel costs and pledged to reform the Parcoursup university admissions platform by 2028.
In education, 16 percent of teachers participated in the strike. Union figures showed more than one in four high schools were affected, alongside the vast majority of universities.
These protests extend a wave that began in September focused on poor conditions and resource shortages at high schools. Léon said she would consider a turnout of 800,000 people a success.
The yellow-vest movement, which staged widespread protests against high costs of living in previous years, has called for further blockades and demonstrations Friday and Saturday.
