- Several thousand people demonstrated in Paris against President Emmanuel Macron’s policies.
- Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s Left Party had called for a “march against the expensive life and doing nothing in the climate crisis”.
- According to organizers, around 140,000 people took to the streets. According to the police, there were 30,000 participants.
In Paris, tens of thousands of people protested against the sharp increase in the cost of living and against “doing nothing in the climate crisis”. The protest march, secured by around 2,000 police officers, was intended to be a demonstration of power against Macron.
The demonstration was also intended to demonstrate the unity of the left in France. These have been rocked by various scandals in recent months, which have led to the resignation of two party officials from the Left Party and the Greens.
Legend:
The march was led by various members of the National Assembly, as well as Jean-Luc Mélenchon, candidate for the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, and Annie Ernaux, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature.
EPO / MOHAMMED BADRA
The mood in France has been very tense for days. About a quarter of the country’s gas stations are running out of fuel because of a strike for more than two weeks for workers at various refineries. At some petrol stations, diesel was sold for three euros per liter.
The French government is therefore concerned that the situation could spark protests similar to those of the yellow vest movement in 2018 and 2019. At that time, the increase in taxes on fuel was the trigger for extensive social protests.
Strikes have been announced again next Tuesday. Depending on how well the call for a strike is received, the government in the Élysée Palace could come under further pressure.