About 575,000 people took part in demonstrations across France on Thursday, government authorities said. It was the largest single day of protests since a wave of unrest began in September in connection with a nationwide strike.

Despite the scale of the demonstrations and the violence that marked similar marches on October 17, the day passed relatively peacefully. Localized clashes between protesters and police were reported in several cities.

Striking workers reduced staffing at some schools, universities, rail services and, to a lesser extent, hospitals. The range of affected sectors reflected the breadth of the movement. It began with students demanding better conditions in educational institutions but gradually drew in trade unions and members of the Yellow Vest movement.

The groups have different specific demands, but they are united by dissatisfaction over the cost of living, perceived government inaction, a widening wealth gap and a desire for social and political change.

Several of France’s largest unions, representing students, teachers, postal workers, doctors, pharmacists and transport workers, called for a nationwide strike. The government estimated that about one-third of higher education institutions were “disrupted” by the demonstrations and that 13% of all school staff went on strike. Unions gave substantially higher estimates of participation.

Some train services were also disrupted by striking workers. Hospital participation was limited, at about 5% of the workforce, the health ministry said. It added that no significant disruption to healthcare services had been reported.

After protests turned violent almost three weeks earlier, authorities and shopkeepers prepared for a repeat of similar scenes. The Interior Ministry reported clashes between police and groups of radical and far-left activists in Rennes, Nantes, Lyon and Marseille. A total of 448 people were detained.

In Lyon, police used tear gas and charged a group of protesters, many of whom were masked. In Rennes, several dozen activists were arrested after damaging a hotel, throwing objects at police and violently attacking union protesters, authorities said.

A school near Toulouse was badly damaged in what Education Minister Édouard Geffray described as a “deliberate act of arson.” Firefighters responded to 86 fires across the country, according to the Interior Ministry.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that, amid another series of violent acts, law enforcement officers had acted “with courage and determination” to ensure that the right to protest could be exercised peacefully and safely. He rejected claims that security forces had obstructed that right.

The labor unions are demanding higher wages and pensions. The CGT, one of France’s most prominent unions, is calling for an immediate 10% increase in the minimum wage. Another union, the CFDT, is seeking a 100-euro increase, or about 7%, in the minimum monthly wage.

Student organizations are demanding an increase of more than $10 billion in the education budget, a $1.5 billion investment in school infrastructure and 250,000 additional university places.

The Yellow Vest movement, which emerged eight years ago, is calling for President Emmanuel Macron and his government to leave office, as well as for a new constitutional process.

Protesters say they intend to continue demonstrating until Christmas and possibly until the presidential elections next spring. The Yellow Vests are planning further actions on Friday and Saturday. Similar strikes are scheduled later this month in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Belgium.

After being caught off guard by the events of October 17, authorities said they had remained “extremely vigilant” in preparing for the new demonstrations. Security forces largely contained the violence, but President Macron has faced criticism for failing to respond adequately to the protesters’ demands.

Macron said he wanted high schools to reopen after the holiday because young people needed to return to class when their future was at stake. He said young people had been heard, but called for them to go back to school, for calm to return and for high schools to reopen under proper conditions.

Source: cnn.com