Hundreds of thousands of workers are expected to take part in strike action across France on Thursday, after trade unions called for a day of protests against budget cuts.
The interior ministry said between 600,000 and 900,000 people could attend demonstrations nationwide, adding it would deploy 80,000 police officers.
Scuffles were reported in the cities of Lyon and Nantes, where police used teargas to try to disperse protesters.
The strikes come barely a week after Sébastien Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, was appointed prime minister following the toppling of François Bayrou’s government.
Public transport was heavily disrupted on Thursday morning, with many metro lines in Paris reported shut, while protesters blocked roads and streets in major cities across France.
Students gathered in front of schools and universities in the capital and beyond, blocking entrances and chanting slogans. Around a third of teachers walked out.
Pharmacists are also adhering to strike action in droves, with 98% of pharmacies expected to stay closed.
More than 110 people were detained across France by mid-afternoon, French media said.
Unions have called for more spending on public services, higher taxes on the wealthy and for the budget cuts outlined by the short-lived Bayrou government to be axed.
Cyrielle, a 36-year-old IT worker, told the BBC she was striking because “Macron’s economic and social policies don’t suit me, nor did Bayrou’s budget”. She was taking part in a tightly-policed, large demonstration in central Paris.
Credit: bbc.com
