France deployed 70,000 police officers Thursday as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for nationwide strikes and protests after left-wing groups called for a mobilization.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed; in Lyon, French riot police fired tear gas and charged a group of protesters; and near Toulouse, a high school was set on fire, according to Reuters.
“We need to turn up in big numbers on the streets today,” the news agency quoted the head of the left-wing CGT union Sophie Binet as saying.
The demonstrations come after France was rocked by violent protests in October, which outgoing French President Emmanuel Macron blamed on “ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic.”
FRANCE’S MACRON BLAMES PROTESTS ON ‘ULTRA-LEFT GROUPS WHOSE AIM IS TO BRING DOWN THE REPUBLIC’
An official close to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that by early Thursday, around 270,000 people had joined the union action in 180 rallies outside the capital.
About a third of France’s high schools were closed or unable to operate, some because of student blockades and others because teachers were on strike, The Associated Press reported.
Nuñez said the 70,000 police officers being deployed are backed by armored vehicles, drones and helicopters.
Authorities in the western region of Brittany also said “masked individuals” tried to block roads in Rennes, while some committed “serious acts of violence,” including throwing steel balls at police.
AMERICANS WARNED OF VIOLENT PROTESTS AS MAJOR TOURIST DESTINATION FACES SHUTDOWN THREAT
France’s main unions warned that the country is on the brink of recession and that layoff plans are multiplying.
“Fuel, food products, rent, gas, electricity… everything’s going up except wages and pensions,” they said in a joint statement, according to The Associated Press.
The U.S. Embassy had issued an urgent security alert for Americans in France ahead of the demonstrations, warning travelers to brace for severe disruptions, sudden curfews and the potential for violence.
The rallies come as the campaign to succeed Macron as president next May heats up, with political parties seeking to capitalize on the movement.
Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, while far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is the favorite to win, the AP reported.
Fox News Digital’s Kelly McGreal and The Associated Press contributed to this report.