Workers strike across France, hundreds of thousands expected to protest
Demonstrators are demanding an increase in the minimum wage and higher salaries for all workers, among other reforms.
Workers across France have gone on strike following calls by trade unions, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to take to the streets.
Protesters gathered in the southern cities of Marseille and Lyon, as well as in the western city of Nantes, on Thursday morning. A rally in Paris is scheduled to begin at 13:00 GMT.
Ahead of the demonstrations, President Emmanuel Macron convened a defence and security meeting on Wednesday to “ensure public order.”
The protests come at a crucial time for France politically. The country is due to elect a new president in April next year, with incumbent Emmanuel Macron unable to run again because of a two-term limit. Polls suggest far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is the favourite to win, which would make her France’s first female president.