French workers strike for higher wages as protests turn violent

Hundreds of thousands of striking workers demonstrated across France on Thursday against the rising cost of living, resulting in 448 arrests and 53 injured officers, with police firing tear gas in some cities. The CGT union reported 1.6 million participants nationwide, while the interior ministry counted 575,000, including 60,000 in Paris. Unions are demanding wage increases and tax reforms, with clashes reported in Lyon and other cities. The protests follow weeks of student-led demonstrations over poor learning conditions and inequality. Around 16 percent of teachers struck, and blockades affected 81 high schools, with the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe closed for the day.