448 people detained at protests in France — Channel NewsAsia

In France, during a nationwide strike and protests against the rising cost of living, police reported 448 detentions and 53 injured law enforcement officers as of 18:00. Hundreds of thousands of people took part in demonstrations on Thursday, November 5, Channel NewsAsia reports.

Different estimates of participant numbers

The CGT trade union estimated the number of participants in actions across France at 1.6 million. France's Interior Ministry reported 575,000 participants, revising its previous estimate of 600,000. According to the ministry, 60,000 people marched in Paris.

The actions took place after several weeks of youth-initiated protests. Trade unions called for general wage increases and tax reforms, while also complaining about police restrictions on certain protests.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Most marches passed peacefully, but clashes between protesters and police occurred in some cities. In Lyon, at least one car was set on fire, and law enforcement officers used tear gas.

Landmarks closed and schools blocked

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe were closed for the day. French authorities reported that 81 out of 3,700 secondary schools were blocked. At the same time, a student association said that classes were suspended at one thousand secondary education institutions because of the actions.

According to the Education Ministry, about 16% of teachers went on strike. Trade unions representing railway workers, public hospitals, and postal services also joined the protests. On the eve of the demonstrations, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that 70,000 police officers and security personnel were planned to be deployed across the country.