Mass protests sweep France as huge crowds demand higher wages

As night fell in the French capital, protesters flowed into the Place de la Nation. Many had been walking for hours. The march left Place de la République in the centre of Paris shortly after lunchtime. The mass protests saw student demonstrations coincide with a national strike called by the major unions to demonstrate against the rising cost of living. We have reached a new stage in these protests. They tried everything to stop us. They tried to crackdown, the holidays, violence. They did not succeed. Strikes were organized across the country. About a third of France's high schools were closed or unable to operate. Public transport was disrupted. This will be a day of mobilization that will make a real difference. A large number of strike notices were filed, both in the private sector and in public services. People heeded the call in Marseille in southern France, waving flags and carrying signs. They vowed to keep up the pressure on the government to improve social services and lower prices. Concrètement, de remettre des sous dans tous les... Concretely, we're asking them to put funds in all public services, not just in education, because the hospitals and schools are crumbling, even the police. We see that they are completely overwhelmed. All they have left is violence. There's only violence left. Most protests remained peaceful. There were some clashes reported across the country. In Nantes in western France, police fired tear gas and charged at demonstrators as tensions remain high after three weekends of massive marches.