A nationwide strike closed the Eiffel Tower as workers and students protested across France. The widening unrest is increasing pressure on Emmanuel Macron’s government before the presidential election.

The Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors on Thursday as a nationwide strike brought fresh disruption across France, with hundreds of thousands of workers taking to the streets for more than a month to demand higher wages, better pensions and relief from rising living costs.

The closure of one of France’s most historic landmarks was among the clearest signs of the scale of the protests after a brief holiday pause. Unions and student groups joined forces in demonstrations across Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities, putting more pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

The Eiffel Tower’s official website announced that the monument would remain closed because of the strike and advised visitors holding electronic tickets to check their email for further information. Schools, rail services and other parts of public life were affected as workers and students stepped up their protests.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TAKE TO STREETS

An official close to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told the Associated Press around 270,000 people had joined union-led demonstrations across 180 rallies outside Paris by early afternoon. Most of the gatherings were peaceful, the official said, although violence was reported in several cities, including Lyon, Nantes, Pau, Orleans, Rennes and Toulouse.

The protests brought together different groups with overlapping grievances.

Trade unions are demanding higher wages and pensions, arguing that the cost of basic necessities has risen while incomes have failed to keep pace. Students, meanwhile, have been protesting over education funding and conditions in schools.

The movement began in September with student protests over staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris. It gradually expanded, drawing in young people demanding greater education funding and workers frustrated over pensions, wages and rising fuel and household costs.

SCHOOLS AND TRANSPORT HIT BY STRIKES

Education was among the sectors facing major disruption. About one-third of France’s high schools were either closed or unable to operate normally, with some affected by student blockades and others by teacher strikes.

The disruption also spilled into public transport, leaving commuters facing delays and cancellations. Police in Strasbourg, in northeastern France, urged residents to exercise extreme caution around certain schools as protests continued.

In Paris, however, the atmosphere at the Place de la Republique was notably calmer ahead of the afternoon march. Despite a heavy police presence, protesters gathered carrying trade union flags while hundreds of musicians played string, brass and percussion instruments alongside singers.

The scene contrasted sharply with earlier demonstrations at the same location, where violent clashes and looting had erupted on October 17.

70,000 POLICE DEPLOYED

French authorities were taking no chances. Nunez said around 70,000 police officers had been deployed across the country, supported by armoured vehicles, drones and helicopters.

Police have faced criticism over their handling of previous demonstrations, including accusations that officers used excessive force and injured protesters.

Authorities in Brittany said masked individuals attempted to block roads in Rennes on Thursday. Officials accused some young people, in some cases accompanied by adults, of carrying out what they described as “serious acts of violence”, including throwing steel balls at police.

The government has been attempting to distinguish between the unions and students taking part in the protests and groups accused of using the demonstrations as a cover for violence.

UNIONS WARN OF ECONOMIC CRISIS

For France’s major trade unions, Thursday’s mobilisation was intended as a warning to Macron’s government and employers. They say households are being squeezed by the rising cost of essentials while wages and pensions remain under pressure. In a joint statement, the unions said:

“Fuel, food products, rent, gas, electricity everything’s going up except wages and pensions,” as quoted by AP. The unions also warned that France was at risk of slipping further into economic trouble, pointing to growing layoff plans and the country’s already difficult financial position.

France is carrying a heavy debt burden and remains among Europe’s weaker-performing major economies, alongside countries such as Italy and Belgium. The unions said the government could no longer ignore the scale of public frustration.

MACRON HAS A DIFFICULT ROAD AHEAD

The unrest is also unfolding at a crucial moment. France is moving towards next year’s presidential election, when voters will choose Macron’s successor. Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, meaning the contest to replace him is already taking shape.

Political parties and presidential candidates are seeking to channel public anger over wages, living costs, public services and the government’s handling of the economy. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is regarded as a leading contender, while veteran left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon has advocated more radical responses to France’s economic and social problems.

The immediate challenge for the government is to prevent the protests from becoming even more disruptive while addressing the economic and social grievances that have fuelled them. The movement now extends well beyond a single issue. Students are demanding better conditions in schools, workers want higher wages and stronger pensions, and households are struggling with the rising cost of everyday life.

That combination makes the protests particularly difficult for the government to contain. The Eiffel Tower’s closure may have been a temporary consequence of Thursday’s strike, but it also offered a striking symbol of how deeply the unrest is affecting France. As unions prepare to maintain pressure and political parties turn their attention towards the presidential race, Macron’s government faces a problem that cannot be solved simply by reopening schools, restarting trains or getting tourists back to the Eiffel Tower.

The bigger question is whether the government can persuade a growing number of French voters that their concerns about wages, public services and the cost of living are being heard before those grievances alter the country’s mood ahead of the next presidential election.