Workers' unions in various sectors today (Tuesday) held a widespread protest across France against the price increases, which stem from the consequences of the war in Ukraine, and also demanded an increase in workers' wages.
The protest included a partial shutdown of public transportation, education systems, food factories, the energy and electricity industry, and government offices.
About 150 demonstrations were held across France, and the largest of them, which took place in Paris, ended in violent confrontations between police forces and about 200 activists who attacked the forces and smashed shop windows of banks and businesses along the way.
Severe clashes between police forces and protesters,
Among the entities whose activity was shut down was France's large nuclear reactor.
The partial shutdown and the demonstrations were an extension of the strike by the refinery workers of the "Total Energy" and "Asso" companies, which has been going on for three weeks and is causing a severe shortage of fuel supply throughout the country.
The protesters smashed shop windows of banks and businesses, photo: IPA
According to a public opinion poll conducted in the last day, 49% of the French were against holding the protest and shutdown compared to 39% who supported the protest.
The leader of the radical left party, France Revolts, Jean-Luc Melonchon, joined the protesters in Paris and declared that France needed a "new May 68", referring to the student riots of 1968 that brought about a profound social change in France.
A wave of strikes and demonstrations against the price increases, photo: AFP
The Prime Minister of France, Elizabeth Bourne, reported yesterday that the proportion of gas stations suffering from shortages due to the refinery workers' strike has dropped from 30% to 25% in recent days.
Born clarified that her government acted from the beginning of the strike to prevent fuel shortages, but the public's concerns about stopping the current supply of fuel caused an extremely high demand that the government had difficulty dealing with.
"It's time for work to resume," Bourne demanded.
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