FRANCE – Protest marches drew huge crowds Thursday in Paris and elsewhere across France as demonstrators demanded higher wages and backed the country’s student protest movement, piling fresh pressure on the beleaguered government.
France’s interior ministry said more than 600,000 people took to the streets while the CGT, one of France’s major unions, said nearly 1.6 million people took part in over 200 demonstrations nationwide.
The figures exceed those reported on October 17, when protests were marred by scenes of rioting and looting.
The Paris march proceeded peacefully, with students, workers and retirees joining.
