National demonstrations in France; Paris lights up with protestors Coinciding with nationwide strikes and demonstrations in France, the Place de la Nation in Paris was the scene of a clash between police and a group of protesters in the capital on Thursday evening, November 5. Pictures published by Reuters show cars marching near the square and the sky lit up by street lamps.
Reuters also reported that law enforcement officers put out at least one small fire on the outskirts of the rally. The protests were peaceful in most parts of France, although there were clashes between police and protesters in Lyon.
The French Interior Ministry put the number of participants nationwide at 600,000, while the French General Confederation of Labor (CGT), one of the organizers of the protests, put the number of demonstrators on Thursday night at 1.6 million. Demonstrations against the cost of living were held at the same time as a one-day strike by several public sector workers. In the city of Bordeaux, the police dispersed the demonstrators with the support of armored vehicles.