French protests draw hundreds of thousands as unions and police dispute turnout
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on November 5, demanding higher wages and increased school funding, with unions claiming 1.6 million participants while the Interior Ministry estimated 600,000. The nationwide strikes, ongoing for weeks, have escalated in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. Unions are pushing for horizontal wage increases, tax reforms, and better learning conditions, amid France's fiscal challenges and political transition ahead of Emmanuel Macron's succession. While largely peaceful, clashes erupted in some cities, including Lyon, where a vehicle was set ablaze and tear gas deployed. The Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe closed for the day, and 70,000 security forces were deployed nationwide.