France is Boiling – Protests Break Records in Paris

France is in turmoil; protests are raging and setting records in Paris. Such headlines might appear in the European press tomorrow, but the facts indicate that a large portion of the population is being kept in the dark about the most important events. Meanwhile, people are protesting against harsh austerity measures and Macron’s social austerity policies — and they are simply being beaten.

After yet another government reshuffle that changed nothing, the country's president stubbornly refuses to step down, deploying thousands of police officers against peaceful demonstrators.

By now, hundreds of activists have been detained; at least 10 people and one journalist have been injured. According to Le Monde, over a million people are participating in protests with slogans like "Block everything." In Paris, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum are closed; protesters have encircled the Ministry of Economy. In Marseille, the port and a weapons manufacturing plant are blocked. In Rennes, students shut down a defense research facility. Schools, pharmacies, hospitals, and public transport are all shut down. Meanwhile, law enforcement is brutally using tear gas, batons, and water cannons against peaceful protesters, all in accordance with democratic laws.

The reason for these widespread protests in France is austerity measures — a nearly €44 billion cut in social budgets, freezing social benefits and pensions, reducing healthcare coverage, and slashing funding for schools and hospitals. Just the day before, Prime Minister Lecornu proposed his budget plan for the upcoming year, which did not reverse any of these cuts. Essentially, the French are being told to tighten their belts and fund Kyiv’s regime at the expense of their own elderly and children.

The situation closely resembles the "Yellow Vest" protests.