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Schools, trains hit, 80,000 cops deployed: Massive anti-Macron protest in France against budget cuts
Teachers, transport staff, pharmacists, hospital workers and students in France staged strikes and blockades against the government’s planned budget cuts.
French protesters staged a nationwide “day of anger” on Thursday against President Emmanuel Macron’s budget plans, sparking mass rallies, transport chaos, and disruptions to schools, pharmacies, metro services and more, with clashes with police anticipated.
Macron and his new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, face pressure both from parliament over looming spending cuts and from investors worried about the deficit in the eurozone’s second-largest economy. Lecornu, Macron’s seventh prime minister, was sworn in last week, promising a fresh start amid a continuing political crisis.
However, his appointment has failed to calm the discontent of unions and left-wing groups. Anger remains focused on the draft €44 billion cost-saving budget of former prime minister François Bayrou, despite Lecornu’s pledges to abolish life-long perks for premiers and to drop a widely unpopular plan to scrap two public holidays.
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Unions are demanding the reversal of the previous government’s fiscal package, more investment in public services, higher taxation of the wealthy, and the rollback of a pension reform that extended the retirement age.
An Interior Ministry source told the Associated Press that up to 800,000 people were expected to join the strikes and demonstrations. “The workers we represent are angry,” the main trade unions said in a joint statement, rejecting the previous government’s “brutal” and “unfair” economic measures.
Industrial action left around a third of teachers on strike, nine out of 10 pharmacies closed, and severe disruption on the Paris Metro, where only the three fully automated lines operated normally.
Services disrupted
Strikes across sectors: Teachers, train drivers, pharmacists and hospital workers across France took part in strikes on Thursday, while students blocked access to their secondary schools, all as part of nationwide protests against the government’s proposed spending cuts.
Disruption to Paris transport: In the capital, Paris, many metro services were suspended for most of the day, except during morning and evening peak hours. Groups of students also staged demonstrations outside certain schools, preventing entry as a form of protest.
Teachers on strike: According to the FSU-SNUipp union, roughly one in three primary school teachers walked out across the country. In Paris, the strike action was even stronger, with nearly one in two teachers refusing to work.
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Regional and national rail impact: Regional train services were significantly disrupted, though most high-speed TGV lines remained in operation, officials confirmed. Protesters also slowed down traffic on a major highway near Toulon in the south-east of the country.
Airlines largely unaffected: Authorities said that while most high-speed trains continued to run, disruption to flights was minimal. Air-traffic controllers had postponed their planned strike, though they warned of a three-day walkout scheduled for early October.
Transport ministry’s response: Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot attempted to reassure the public, stating, “We can say that the transport situation is disrupted, but it is not at a standstill.”
Nuclear output reduced: At French utility EDF, power generation was reduced slightly as workers scaled back production. Output was down by 1.1 gigawatts early on Thursday, particularly at the Flamanville 1 nuclear reactor.
Farmers join mobilisation: The farmers’ union, Confédération Paysanne, also called for mobilisation against the government’s fiscal plans, widening the scope of opposition beyond traditional labour sectors.
Pharmacists voice discontent: Pharmacists expressed anger at proposed changes affecting their profession. The USPO pharmacists’ union revealed that a survey of its members showed 98% of pharmacies intended to shut for the day in protest.
Schoolchildren protest austerity: Even pupils took part in the demonstrations. Around 300 students blocked access to the Maurice Ravel secondary school in Paris, holding placards with messages such as “block your school against austerity.”
Over 80,000 police officers deployed
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Thursday morning that police had already cleared some blockades, including those outside bus depots in the Paris area. He cautioned that up to 8,000 agitators were expected to “sow disorder” and confront police.
Authorities confirmed that more than 20 people had been detained at different locations. To manage the situation, 80,000 police and gendarmes are being deployed across the country, supported by riot squads, drones, armoured vehicles and water cannon.
The strike also disrupted cultural plans, as the relocation of the 70-metre-long Bayeux tapestry — the famed work depicting the Norman conquest of 1066 — was postponed, the local prefecture announced. The historic piece is due to be loaned to Britain.
Officials estimated that between 600,000 and 900,000 demonstrators could join nationwide protests. Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez told AFP on Wednesday that he was “very concerned” about the possibility of rioters seeking to incite violence and cause damage within the Paris union march. He urged central shops to shut for the day and protect their premises.
A previous, less formal day of protest on September 10, although causing some disruption, failed to achieve its declared aim of “block everything.”
(With inputs from AFP, Associated Press)
