▲ Protest in France against high living costs
Protests that began when French high school students took to the streets instead of classrooms to protest poor educational conditions are showing signs of an unusual spread.
In France, workers protesting skyrocketing living costs, soaring fuel prices triggered by the Middle East war, and government austerity measures have joined the student-ignited protests en masse, reviving the nightmares of the "yellow vest" movement that shook the country for months eight years ago.
According to AFP and other reports, more than 500,000 workers, students, and ordinary citizens poured into the streets on the 17th in major cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Nantes, denouncing soaring inflation, government austerity policies, and the resulting deterioration of public services.
Flames, tear gas, and water cannons filled downtown areas of major cities as masked and hooded protesters violently clashed with riot police.
One hundred and fifty police officers were injured, and about 1,200 protesters were arrested.
In Limoges, a small town in southwestern France, the city hall building was engulfed in flames after being attacked by protesters, while downtown shops and a police station were damaged in Marseille, the second-largest city.
As multiple regions descended into chaos—such as a tourist information center catching fire from fireworks thrown by protesters in the third-largest city of Lyon—President Emmanuel Macron issued a stern warning that acts of public property destruction and looting will be punished.
With hundreds of thousands responding and participating in the protests on this day, encouraged by the leadership of the "yellow vest" movement, speculations are emerging that large-scale protests cornering the Macron government may be restarting in earnest ahead of next year's presidential election in France.
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