Hundreds of thousands of people marched and staged strikes across France on Thursday, demanding a “fair wage” and a broader rise in salaries amid rising living costs. According to police estimates, about 575,000 participants took part in the demonstrations, while the CGT union, one of the organisers, claimed that 1.6 million people had joined the protests. The unions are calling for a revaluation of the minimum inter‑professional wage, a general increase in salaries, a more equitable tax system and the protection of public services. They also support secondary‑school students who have been striking since September over what they say are inadequate educational conditions and a need to reform university admissions. “Nothing will stop us. The only thing that will end the mobilisation is a response to our demands,” said CGT leader Sophie Binet in Paris, where the Eiffel Tower and some rooms of the Louvre were closed because of the parades. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a “social conference” for Monday, to be held with unions and employers, aimed at addressing issues of purchasing power and wages. The government is under pressure to curb public debt, with a major fiscal adjustment planned for 2027. A barometer released on Wednesday by several organisations, including the main trade‑union centre CFDT, found that one in two people in France say it is difficult to make ends meet. “We’re fed up. We’re not starving, but we have to support our children even if they have studied,” said Sylvie Larneury, a healthcare worker, who joined the protest in Clermont‑Ferrand with her husband. From Lyon, viticulturist Martin Thiberge said the demonstrations bring together people from all sectors of society. In Brest, musician Yann Tiersen played music from a CGT truck, describing the event as “an important moment for the convergence of struggles.” The protests began with a school strike that saw 81 of France’s 3,700 secondary schools closed, although the Union of Secondary‑School Students (USL) reported that about 1,000 schools were shut. While most marches were peaceful, clashes with police were reported in Paris and Lyon, where at least one vehicle was set on fire. Near Toulouse, masked individuals set fire to a largely empty school building. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had mobilised 70,000 police officers and gendarmes and warned of a “firm response” to any disorder. The government’s handling of the protests has drawn criticism from judges, lawyers, unions and human‑rights organisations, who accuse it of adopting an “authoritarian turn” to silence dissent. Yellow‑vest activists have called for a Saturday rally at Paris’s Concorde Square, despite a ban on demonstrations there. In addition, unions and housing‑rights groups in seven European countries have announced coordinated protests against the rising cost of living for the end of November.