A new round of nationwide rallies and strikes erupted across France on Thursday, as tens of thousands of protesters took to the street against the government's spending cuts.
The fresh round of demonstrations, organized by unions and student organizations, followed the "Block Everything" movement on September 10 and a large union-backed walkout on September 18.
According to figures from France's Interior Ministry, about 195,000 people joined the demonstrations nationwide, including around 24,000 in Paris alone.
The demonstrators demanded more financial support from the government in education funding, student living conditions and social security services.
In Paris, the demonstrations caused temporary closure of some roads, tube stations and bus stops near the rally areas.
Nearly 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed across France, including about 5,000 in Paris, in response to the demonstrations.
In July, then-French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou introduced a spending cut plan, including the scrapping of two public holidays and cutting of health insurance spending. The proposal met fierce resistance in parliament and among the public.
Bayrou resigned in early September after losing a confidence vote in the National Assembly over his fiscal policy. Sebastien Lecornu, then defense minister, was appointed prime minister.
In an interview with Le Parisien published Friday, Lecornu said that the 2026 budget would reflect consultations with trade unions, employers' groups and public institutions, stressing that it would not be "a budget of austerity and social regression."
Nationwide demonstrations erupt in France against spending cuts
