The Eiffel Tower is closed, police use tear gas: what is happening in France
On Thursday, nationwide protests and strikes continued in France, spreading to more than 220 towns and cities.
According to estimates by the authorities, between 500,000 and 700,000 people may take part in demonstrations outside Paris. Another 40,000 to 80,000 participants are expected in the capital.
About 70,000 police officers and gendarmes have been mobilized across the country to maintain public order.
The protest events have affected various areas of public life, including education, transportation, health care, and public services. According to France's Ministry of National Education, 16% of teachers joined the strike, while the work of 33% of higher education institutions was disrupted. In Paris, demonstrators also blockaded 81 high schools, which amounts to about 2.2% of the total number of such educational institutions in the country.
In a number of cities, the demonstrations were accompanied by unrest. In the commune of Tournefeuille in the Occitanie region, protesters set fire to a high school building. Clashes with law enforcement officers occurred in Lyon. According to available information, about 500 participants of the "Black Bloc" movement damaged the windows of an employment agency and confronted the police. Law enforcement officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd. There are also reports of stones being thrown at police officers and shops.
Amid the trade union strike, the Eiffel Tower has been temporarily closed. This was stated in a notice posted on the landmark's official website.
The current wave of protests is a continuation of the demonstrations held in French cities on October 17, 24, and 31. Among the stated reasons for the participants' discontent are the rising cost of living and problems in the field of education. Previous demonstrations were also repeatedly accompanied by clashes with the police and cases of vandalism.
