Tens of thousands of government workers, teachers, transportation employees and other unionized workers in France walked off the job Thursday to take part in the latest round of mass economic protests that have rocked the European nation, expressing frustration over low wages and the high cost of living. What was billed as a national day of action began with nearly 200 peaceful demonstrations across the country. The General Confederation of Labor, or GCL, one of France’s main unions, said around 1.6 million people took to the streets, while France’s Interior Ministry put a much lower figure at around 600,000. Protesters march through Paris on November 5, 2026, as part of a general strike. Clement Souchet/NurPhoto via Getty Images The protests even briefly closed the Eiffel Tower. “Our salaries do not allow us to live longer,” Sophie Binet, director of GCL, told CBS News when asked why the ongoing protests have taken center stage in France. Binet urged his followers to continue protests and accused French President Emmanuel Macron of not listening to the people’s cries for help. “Because he thinks he knows everything on his own,” Binet said of Macron. “Because he works for the rich, for the… multinationals and for finance, not for the workers.” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called a meeting with the unions on Monday, but another protest is already planned for next Saturday. A model of the Elysee Palace depicting French President Emmanuel Macron during a protest in Paris, November 5, 2026. Quentin de Groeve / Hans Lucas /AFP via Getty Images Bally Bagayoko, mayor of Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, told CBS News that Macron is “incapable of providing answers,” stating that protesters are “fed up with having an increasingly privileged society, the strongest in the world, left behind an ocean of inequalities.” Several protesters told CBS News they want the French government to reduce its domestic military and police spending and increase funding for social services. Thursday’s demonstrations turned violent in some areas and ended with police using tear gas to remove protesters. Clashes broke out during several of the demonstrations. Police officers in riot gear stand near a fire in the Place de la Nation amid protests on November 5, 2026. Clement Souchet/NurPhoto via Getty Images Protesters set a car on fire in the central French city of Lyon and burned objects on the streets of Paris. Anti-government demonstrations began in late September among high school and university students in Paris protesting poor school conditions, teacher shortages and infrastructure problems. They quickly spread and gained broader support: local polls show that almost six in 10 people in France support them. However, in many cases the protests have degenerated into violence, with buildings and monuments burned, small businesses vandalized and clashes with police leading to thousands of arrests. At the height of the violence last month, curfews were declared in several cities. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
