Police in Lyon used batons and tear gas against demonstrators

Clashes in Lyon

On November 5, in Lyon, France, police used batons and tear gas to disperse demonstrators; according to local journalists at Lyon Mag, several people were injured. The clashes occurred during a mass demonstration whose participants put forward social and economic demands. Lyon Mag published reports of serious tension near the bridges of the Presqu'île peninsula, where the events unfolded, as well as video of the use of crowd-control equipment.

Scale of the protests and consequences

The protests are taking place not only in Lyon but also in other cities across the country. According to preliminary media reports, the number of demonstrators in the regions reached 270,000 people. Against the backdrop of the demonstrations in Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors; the actions have also been accompanied by disruptions to city services and public transport.

Where the wave of protests began

The current wave of discontent began back in mid-September, when high school students took to the streets in the suburbs of Paris, demanding improvements to the condition of educational institutions and attention to the problems of school education. They were then joined by French people dissatisfied with rising prices and the cost of living; the protests spread to other regions, and the demands went beyond the educational agenda. During the general strike, protesters blocked 81 high schools, according to Life.ru.

Attack on firefighters

A separate incident amid the protests was an attack on rescue workers: in France, an unknown assailant opened fire on firefighterswho had arrived to extinguish burning cars. According to the TF1 television channel, cited by Life.ru, one of the rescuers was wounded and hospitalized. After the attack, the perpetrator took cover nearby and barricaded himself, which led to elite police unit RAID officers being dispatched to the scene.