More than one million people took part in protests across France on Thursday, according to the country’s powerful CGT union, as anger over a controversial national budget spilled into the streets.
The Interior Ministry reported 282,500 demonstrators in regions outside Paris, while thousands more gathered in the capital. At least 140 people were arrested nationwide, including 21 in Paris, with 75 of them placed in custody. Police said eight officers sustained minor injuries.
The Paris march began peacefully but turned tense near Boulevard Voltaire, where police reported attempts to damage a business. Officers came under attack from stones and bottles, prompting them to respond with tear gas and arrests.
Strikes and protests disrupted multiple sectors. The Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France said 20,000 pharmacists had joined the demonstrations, while the Student Union syndicate reported 110,000 high school and university students mobilized.
Authorities deployed a massive security presence, with 35,000 departmental gendarmes, more than 80,000 police and gendarmes nationwide, and armored vehicles, drones, and water cannons. The Interior Ministry confirmed that 24 Centaure armored vehicles, last seen during the Yellow Vest protests, were positioned across the country alongside 10 water-launching devices.
Outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said earlier that blockades were “less intense than expected for the first part of the day,” though he had anticipated a “very, very strong” mobilization across key sectors including education, agriculture, transport, and public services.
Thursday’s protests, organized by major trade unions, came in response to budget plans introduced by former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou before he lost a confidence vote on September 8. Bayrou had sought to cut nearly €44 billion to address France’s public debt, which stands at 113% of GDP, but the effort collapsed amid political opposition.
President Emmanuel Macron has since named Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister. Lecornu is tasked with consulting political parties before forming a new government.
France’s budget battles have triggered repeated unrest. Last year, failure to agree on the 2025 budget led to the downfall of the Michel Barnier government after left-wing and far-right parties united in a no-confidence vote.