FRANCE faces a day of high-school blockades and protests as students and trade unions demand that the cash-strapped government fix understaffed and dilapidated schools.
Yesterday’s nationwide protests come after a fortnight of demonstrations which began in the deprived suburbs of Paris before spreading across the country, sometimes turning violent.
The government has been responding by deploying riot police, leading to mass arrests and clashes resulting in injuries to protesters, police officers and school staff.
The unrest has piled more pressure on a government seeking to narrow a ballooning budget deficit six months before an election to replace President Emmanuel Macron.
French borrowing costs have surged in recent days to levels not seen since the early 2000s.
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen outlined her plans to cut government spending, seeking to establish her fiscal credibility. —Reuters
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