French protests over living costs turn violent in Paris and Lyon

Nationwide protests and strikes over living costs and public services unfolded across France on Thursday, with police firing tear gas in Paris and Lyon and a high school near Toulouse set ablaze by fireworks, though demonstrations were largely peaceful. The Interior Ministry reported 600,000 participants nationwide, while the CGT union claimed 1.6 million, as public sector workers joined a one-day strike that shut the Eiffel Tower but caused no major transport disruptions. Presidential candidates Jean-Luc Melenchon and Raphael Glucksmann attended, and clashes occurred when hooded individuals committed vandalism, prompting police response. The unrest, France's worst in years, pressures Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ahead of his November 9 meeting with workers' and employers' groups on salaries, five months before a presidential election Macron cannot contest. Around 70,000 police were deployed, and the strike reduced nuclear output, with over 15% of teaching staff participating.