Anadolu Agency has reported that 448 people have been arrested and 53 police officers injured during widespread protests in various French cities over demands for higher wages and opposition to the rising cost of living.
France’s Interior Ministry said that approximately 575,000 people took part in protests across the country on Thursday, including 65,000 in the capital, Paris. The ministry stated that the demonstrations were peaceful in most areas; however, violence also erupted in Paris, Lyon, Rennes, and Toulouse, with 86 incidents of arson reported.
Meanwhile, the CGT trade union put the number of protesters at nearly 1.6 million and called on the government to raise wages and increase the minimum wage by 10 percent. France’s Prime Minister has also announced plans to hold a conference for dialogue between representatives of workers and employers.