People across more than 200 towns and cities in France took to the streets on Thursday to oppose spending cuts and demand higher taxes on the rich. In Paris, thousands of workers, retirees, and students marched from Place d’Italie. The Eiffel Tower remained closed as staff joined the strike, its management confirmed.

Unions challenge austerity

Union leaders are demanding that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu drop the austerity plans introduced by his predecessor. These measures include freezing social welfare payments, which unions warn will worsen the financial struggles of low- and middle-income families.

The strikes were organized by France’s main labor unions. They are part of a larger protest movement that started last month during political disputes and tough budget talks.

Anger over government inaction

Prime Minister Lecornu, who assumed office only last month, has not yet presented his budget plan or formed a cabinet. Parliament is expected to debate the budget later this year.

Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, highlighted the intensity of public frustration. “It’s true, it’s the first time that there are three days of strikes and protests in a month without a government or budget. It shows the level of social anger,” she said on Thursday.

When asked on BFM TV about the timing of the protests, she explained: “Why are we protesting now? Because we feel that it’s now that the decisions are being made, and we want to be heard.”

Protest turnout lower than before

According to the French Interior Ministry, about 195,000 protesters joined the demonstrations nationwide, including 24,000 in Paris.

Rail operator SNCF said high-speed train services were running normally, though some regional lines faced partial disruptions. In Paris, metro services were nearly normal, but many commuter trains had reduced capacity.

Teachers and health care workers also joined the strike. However, turnout appeared lower than last month’s protests.

On September 18, over 500,000 demonstrators gathered across the country, police said. Unions claimed more than one million people had participated.

Previous wave of unrest

Just a week earlier, France saw another day of anti-government action. Protesters blocked streets with burning barricades, filled cities with smoke, and clashed with police during the so-called “Block Everything” campaign.