Eiffel Tower closed as nationwide strikes erupt across France; unions demand taxes on rich, reject austerity

Protesters staged demonstrations in more than 200 towns and cities across France on Thursday, rallying against spending cuts and demanding higher taxes on the wealthy.

In Paris, thousands of workers, retirees, and students marched from Place d’Italie, while the Eiffel Tower was closed due to strike action, according to a statement from its management.

The nationwide strikes, organised by France’s major unions, are the latest in a wave of protests that began last month amid political unrest and tense budget negotiations.

Union leaders are urging newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to scrap austerity measures proposed by his predecessor, which include freezing social welfare. They argue the plans would further erode the purchasing power of low- and middle-income households.

Lecornu, who took office last month, has yet to reveal his budget blueprint or appoint government ministers, with parliament expected to debate the bill before the end of the year.

“It’s true, it’s the first time that there are three days of strikes and protests in a month without a government or budget. It shows the level of social anger,” Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, said Thursday.

Speaking on BFM TV news broadcaster, she was asked about the timing of the latest action: “Why are we protesting now? Because we feel that it’s now that the decisions are being made, and we want to be heard.”

The French Interior Ministry said 195,000 protesters have taken to the street across the country including 24,000 in Paris.

SNCF, the national rail company, said high-speed train services were running normally Thursday while some regional lines were affected by partial disruptions. In Paris, metro traffic was close to normal but many commuting trains were running at reduced capacity.

Some teachers and health care workers have also joined the strikes, but overall, figures appeared to show less people responded to the unions’ call than last month.

On Sept. 18, more than 500,000 demonstrators marched in France’s small towns and big cities, including Paris, according to figures from the police and interior ministry. Unions reported more than one million strikers and protesters nationwide.

The week before, a day of anti-government action across France saw streets choked with smoke, barricades in flames and volleys of tear gas amid the “Block Everything” campaign.

With inputs from agencies