Photos: French students protest, public workers strike before budget cuts
Summary
French high school students and public workers protested against planned government budget cuts just before the draft 2027 budget was set to be announced. The protests included school blockades and strikes, with clashes between protesters and police in several cities.Key Facts
- Over 330 high schools in France were blockaded by students protesting overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages.
- On Tuesday, 40 people were arrested and 10 students and staff were injured during protests.
- Teachers in some schools formed protective lines around students to shield them from police.
- Protests included setting bins on fire, vandalizing bus shelters and billboards, and throwing objects at police.
- Police used tear gas in response to protests in cities like Lille, Nantes, Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Lyon.
- About 11% of teachers and school staff joined strikes; fewer civil servants and hospital workers participated due to lost wages.
- Professional firefighters also joined protests, citing dangerous resource shortages highlighted by recent wildfires.
- The CGT union leader demanded the government withdraw planned budget cuts aimed at saving 2 billion euros in state employee pay and 54 billion euros in overall spending.
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