Student protests that have been ongoing in France since last month have spread across the country with the participation of different groups reacting to the cost of living and fuel prices. Clashes between police and protesters occurred during demonstrations held in Marseille, Lyon, Strasbourg, Rennes, and Toulouse, as well as in the capital, Paris.
The French Ministry of the Interior announced that approximately 33,000 people participated in the protests at 140 different locations across the country. The CGT, one of the country's largest unions, stated that the turnout was 500,000 people. French Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported that 150 police officers were injured and 1,200 people were detained during the events.
PROTESTS SPREAD TO MANY CITIES
Demonstrations were banned around the Presidential Palace, the Prime Ministry, and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Despite this, thousands of people participated in two separate protests, one led by students and the other by the Yellow Vests. Slogans demanding the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron were chanted during the demonstrations.
While a building housing a tourism office was set on fire in Lyon, it was reported that some protesters attacked the Paris offices of the right-wing news network CNews. Speaking to AFP, a high school student named Valentin described the meeting of different generations in the same protests as "solidarity."
It is nice to see this solidarity between young people, adults, and even retirees. We are all in the same boat. Perhaps the government will listen to us when it sees that all generations are mobilized.
In Marseille, the country's second-largest city, a group of masked individuals headed toward the city hall. It was reported that the door was broken with iron barriers and the letter "A," the symbol of anarchism, was drawn on the walls of the building. While it was stated that the bust of Marianne in the building was also damaged, the protesters were removed by police intervention.
Some demonstrators were met with tear gas on the city streets. While the harsh interventions of the French police drew criticism, officials speaking to the BBC argued that "hostile individuals" were targeting the police. The Paris police, in a social media post, stated that they would not take a step back against demonstrators and those who came to attack law enforcement.
Speaking to Le Monde, 58-year-old protester Sandrine criticized the police intervention, saying that there were families with children in the area and that tear gas was used without any incident occurring.
News Source: 12punto
