France: Mass protests against high cost of living

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets across France today (Wednesday) to demonstrate against the high cost of living and in support of strikes across the public and private sectors. According to reports by Haaretz and Radio-Canada, this marks the first wave of demonstrations since the start of the school year, drawing significant participation from labor unions and student groups. In Paris, clashes were reported between police and protesters who blocked streets, while approximately 70,000 police officers were deployed nationwide to maintain order.

Against this backdrop, the government led by President Emmanuel Macron is struggling to pass an austerity budget in parliament, with public debt reaching approximately 120% of GDP. Further details have not yet been released.