Public workers in France strike over pay as student protests turn violent
Tens of thousands of workers march nationwide, as police arrest 440 students in clashes at schools.
Tens of thousands of civil servants, including teachers, firefighters and healthcare workers, have marched in cities across France to demand higher pay, as students clashed with the police in separate protests over conditions at their schools.
Unions said some 300,000 people took part in the one-day strike action nationwide, while police on Tuesday estimated a turnout of 30,000 in the capital, Paris. The workers also demanded better working conditions and expressed anger at the government’s planned budget cuts.
Protests also took place at more than 400 schools, about 40 of which were blockaded and 44 of which faced attempted blockades.
The government has already unveiled measures to help households cope with a spike in energy prices driven by the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, but it has failed to quell the discontent with Macron and his administration.