In clashes between protesters and police, 53 members of law enforcement were injured and 448 people were arrested. In addition, 86 incidents of arson occurred in various places. According to an Anadolu Agency report, France's Ministry of Interior provided these figures based on information available until 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The ministry said that although most authorized protests were held peacefully, tensions and clashes occurred in Paris, Lyon, Rennes, and Toulouse. According to Interior Ministry estimates, about 575,000 people took part in protests across the country, including 65,000 in Paris. However, the CGT trade union claimed that about 1.6 million people took part in the protests, with 350,000 in Paris alone.
CGT Secretary General Sophie Binet described the strike as ‘highly effective’ and called on the government to accept workers' demands. She demanded a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage as well as higher pay for all workers.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a meeting with representatives of trade unions and employers to address the impact of the protests and strikes. This ‘social conference’ will be held next Monday at Matignon in Paris.
The strike has also affected educational institutions. According to the Ministry of Higher Education, educational activities were disrupted at 60 of 184 higher education institutions. The SNES-FSU teachers' union claims that 52 percent of staff at secondary and higher secondary level institutions took part in the strike.
