Tunde Sulaiman 
Hundreds of thousands of workers have taken take part in strike action across France yesterday, after trade unions called for a day of protests against budget cuts.
Organisers said one million people turned out, while the interior ministry put that number at 500,000, with 80,000 police officers deployed.
Scuffles were reported in the cities of Lyon and Nantes, and in Paris smallscale clashes broke out between police and protesters. Officers in riot gear used tear gas and shields to disperse crowds in the centre of the capital after some protesters damaged a small number of businesses and buildings.
The strikes come barely a week after Sébastien Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, was appointed Prime Minister following the toppling of François Bayrou’s government, reports the BBC.
Public transport was heavily disrupted yesterday, with many metro lines in Paris reported shut, while protesters blocked roads and streets in major cities across France.
Students gathered in front of schools and universities in the capital and beyond, blocking entrances and chanting slogans. Around a third of teachers walked out.
