Eiffel tower shuts down as France erupts in anti-austerity protests

Paris: Protesters flooded the streets of more than 200 towns and cities across France on Thursday, voicing opposition to austerity measures and demanding increased taxation on the wealthy.

In the capital, thousands of workers, students, and pensioners began marching from Place d’Italie in the afternoon. The Eiffel Tower remained closed to visitors, with its management citing the strike action.

The nationwide mobilisation, led by France’s major trade unions, marks the latest in a series of demonstrations that have gathered momentum over the past month amid deepening political uncertainty and contentious budget discussions.

Unions are calling on Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to abandon austerity proposals drafted by his predecessor, which include freezes to social welfare spending. Many argue such measures would further diminish the purchasing power of low-income and middle-class households. Instead, they are demanding that the government raise taxes on France’s wealthiest citizens.

Mr Lecornu, who was appointed last month, has yet to unveil the specifics of his budget or appoint his cabinet ministers. Parliament is expected to begin debating the proposed budget before the end of the year.

Sophie Binet, General Secretary of the CGT union, underscored the urgency of the protests. Speaking to BFM TV, she said:

“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.”

“Why are we protesting now? Because we feel that it's now that the decisions are being made, and we want to be heard.”

The French Interior Ministry estimated that by midday, 85,000 people had joined demonstrations outside Paris.

While the national rail company SNCF reported that high-speed trains were operating normally, some regional services experienced disruptions. In Paris, metro traffic was mostly unaffected, although many commuter trains were running at reduced capacity.

Striking workers from sectors including education and healthcare also participated in Thursday's action, though early estimates suggested a smaller turnout than the protests last month.

On 18 September, over 500,000 demonstrators took to the streets across the country, according to official figures. Union leaders claimed the number of strikers and protesters exceeded one million nationwide.

The protests follow an earlier wave of unrest under the “Block Everything” campaign, which saw streets engulfed in smoke, barricades set ablaze, and tear gas deployed in clashes with police.

(AP)