Mass protests against austerity measures and the government’s proposed budget are taking place in several French cities, local media reported on Thursday.
Earlier, France’s largest trade unions announced new protests on October 2 against the government’s proposed austerity measures. Acting Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced that 76,000 law enforcement officers would be deployed nationwide on the day of protests, 5,000 of which would be deployed in Paris and the Parisian metropolitan area.
The Figaro newspaper reported that protesters are disrupting public transportation in the south of the country. According to the newspaper, significant disruptions to regional rail networks and changes to the schedules of several intercity trains are expected. The newspaper also reported that several metro stations have been closed in Paris and the Parisian metropolitan area, and service disruptions have been observed on two RER lines. In addition, one tram line was disrupted, and a bus depot was blocked.
Furthermore, protesters blocked several large industrial plants located across the country, according to an article in Figaro. The newspaper reports that in northern France, they blocked the factories of the automobile company Stellantis and the tire manufacturer Michelin. In the south of the country, in Toulouse, protesters blocked the entrance to a plant of Thales, a company engaged in technological developments, including in the defense sector. Furthermore, cyclists managed to block the entrance to Thales’s headquarters in the suburbs of Paris, the newspaper Parisien reports, citing its source.
A small group of 20 protesters attempted to block the Lyon ring road this morning, Parisien reports. According to the newspaper, law enforcement officers quickly thwarted the attempt and arrested two protesters.