{"id":1294263,"date":"2025-09-18T21:55:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/half-a-million-people-protest-against-austerity-budget-in-france-some-injured-and-detained\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T21:55:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:55:24","slug":"half-a-million-people-protest-against-austerity-budget-in-france-some-injured-and-detained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/half-a-million-people-protest-against-austerity-budget-in-france-some-injured-and-detained\/","title":{"rendered":"Half a million people protest against austerity budget in France, some injured and detained"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than half a million French people took part in nationwide strikes and demonstrations on September 18 against the government’s new budget proposal, which includes austerity measures.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is reported by BFMTV<\/a> .<\/p>\n

The French Interior Ministry reported that more than 500,000 people took part in strikes and demonstrations against the new austerity budget. Protesters, journalists and law enforcement officers were injured in the protests, and mass arrests were made.<\/p>\n

According to the Interior Ministry, about 55,000 people took to the streets in Paris alone. Larger demonstrations also took place in Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Montpellier. Trade unions said that more than a million citizens took part in the protests across the country, while the authorities are operating with half the number.<\/p>\n

Protesters have been protesting cuts to public services, a freeze on social benefits, unemployment insurance reforms and other budget decisions. Left-wing parties have called on President Emmanuel Macron’s government to balance the budget by raising taxes on big business and the wealthy.<\/p>\n

Students and high school students joined the strikes, carrying banners with slogans such as “No to austerity” and “Long live Gaza.” Palestinian flags were also seen at the demonstrations.<\/p>\n

The French Interior Ministry said that ten demonstrators, one journalist and 11 police officers were injured during the protests. Law enforcement officers detained 181 people, 31 of them in Paris.<\/p>\n

Clashes between protesters and police were recorded in Lyon, Paris and other cities. In Paris, the actions significantly disrupted the work of the metro and complicated transport traffic.<\/p>\n

The strike has halted nearly 11% of public sector workers, most of them in education. Energy company EDF said the strikes had reduced electricity production by the equivalent of four nuclear reactors.<\/p>\n

Trade unions called the strikes a “great success” and promised to set a new date for large-scale actions. <\/p>\n