Hundreds of thousands protested across France on Thursday in a show of anger over President Emmanuel Macron's austerity policies, disrupting much of the country's public life, APA reports citing France 24.
Heeding a call from trade unions, protesters staged a day of nationwide actions, with public transport stalled, schools closed and people taking to the streets for demonstrations marked by sporadic clashes with the police.
French authorities, whose count is usually substantially lower than that of unions, said more than 500,000 people had demonstrated in the country, including 55,000 in Paris.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Macron's seventh head of government since 2017, vowed a break from the past in a bid to defuse a deepening political crisis after taking office last week.
But the appointment of the 39-year-old former defence minister and close Macron ally has failed to calm the anger of unions and many French people.
Many protesters took direct aim at Macron, who has just 18 months left in power and is enduring his worst-ever popularity levels.
More than 80,000 police officers have been deployed, backed by drones, armoured vehicles and water cannon.
More than 180 people have been detained.
With unions calling for strikes in a rare show of unity, around one in six teachers at primary and secondary schools walked out, while nine out of 10 pharmacies were shuttered.
