France Protests: Civil Servants Strike And Students Clash With Police Over Budget Cuts
- Tens of thousands of civil servants marched in cities across France, demanding higher pay and better working conditions while protesting planned government budget cuts.
- The strikes arrived two days before the government planned to unveil its draft budget and seven months ahead of the presidential election.
- Simultaneously, student protests erupted at more than 400 schools across France over timetables, class sizes, teacher shortages, and overheated classrooms during heatwaves.
Tens of thousands of civil servants marched in cities across France, demanding higher pay and better working conditions while protesting planned government budget cuts. According to trade unions, approximately 300,000 people took part in the nationwide one-day strike action, whereas police estimated a turnout of 30,000 in Paris. The demonstrations involved teachers, firefighters, and healthcare workers, and coincided with separate student protests over school conditions that led to widespread clashes and hundreds of detentions.
Public Sector Unions Demand 6 Percent Raise Amid Proposed Salary Freezes
The strikes arrived two days before the government planned to unveil its draft budget and seven months ahead of the presidential election. Unions stated that the government proposed freezing base salaries for state employees in 2027 to save 2 billion euros ($2.3bn). This measure would mark the fourth consecutive annual freeze and the eighth during President Emmanuel Macron’s tenure. Unions asserted that previous freezes have stripped workers of a double-digit share of their purchasing power, leading them to demand a 6 percent raise.
Sophie Binet, general secretary of the General Confederation of Labor, labeled the demonstrations “a red alert” while speaking to Al Jazeera. This anger is not going away. The government must look again at the budget,
Binet said, giving the government 48 hours to reverse the planned cuts before her union decides on further strike action. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry reported that just over 11 percent of teachers and school staff participated in the strike. French teachers earn less on average than their European counterparts, and professional firefighters joined the marches after summer wildfires exposed resource shortages.
Student Demonstrations and Clashes Lead to More Than 440 Detentions
Simultaneously, student protests erupted at more than 400 schools across France over timetables, class sizes, teacher shortages, and overheated classrooms during heatwaves. About 40 schools faced blockades while 44 encountered attempted blockades. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated on BFMTV that 440 people were detained nationwide, noting that about two-thirds resulted in police custody. Violence is never legitimate. There is nothing that justifies violence,
Nunez said.
Authorities reported that 10 students and staff members were wounded alongside 48 law enforcement officials during the unrest. In cities like Lille, students set fire to rubbish bins and hurled projectiles at police, who responded with batons and tear gas. Education Minister Edouard Geffray condemned the clashes on social media, writing that this violence is unspeakable
and warning that blockades endanger both students and public officials. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also criticized the escalation, stating that nothing justifies endangering students, staff, or police.