PARIS (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of striking workers protested across France on Thursday against the rising cost of living following weeks of youth-led demonstrations, with police firing tear gas as clashes broke out in some cities.
The marches come as the eurozone’s second-largest economy battles to redress its dire finances, six months ahead of elections to replace President Emmanuel Macron, with the far right leading in the opinion polls.
While France’s major labor union, CGT, put Thursday’s turnout at 1.6 million across France, the interior ministry said 575,000 people had taken part, revising downwards an earlier estimate of 600,000. It said 60,000 had marched in Paris compared to CGT’s estimate stating 350,000 marched in the capital.
As of 6pm (1700 GMT), 448 people had been arrested and 53 officers had been injured in clashes with protesters, the statement added.
“The question today is not whether we’re going to win” but rather “how much we’re going to win”, CGT union leader Sophie Binet told the Paris rally.
The strike comes on the back of a wave of student anger that has swept across the continent, with young people from Germany and Spain, to Greece and Italy following suit with similar protests in recent weeks.
The high school student movement, began by youths sounding the alarm over their poor learning conditions, has coincided with widespread outrage over the rising cost of living and inequality.
A previous day of protest on October 17 ended up with the worst rioting France has seen in years.
Now the unions are calling for across-the-board wage raises and tax reforms, while complaining about police restrictions on certain protests.
Although Thursday’s marches were largely peaceful, skirmishes between protesters and police broke out in some cities including Lyon, where at least one vehicle was torched and tear gas was fired.
Winegrower Martin Thiberge said he wanted to take part in the demonstrations drawing together people from across French society.
“We want to make a living from our work, to make a dignified wage,” he said at the Lyon protest.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe – popular among tourists – were closed for the day.
The government reported blockades at 81 of the country’s 3,700 high schools, while a student association said classes had been suspended at 1,000 secondary schools as a result of the demonstrations.
Around 16 percent of teachers nationwide were on strike, the education ministry said.
 Public and private education unions had called for strike action, as well as unions representing rail workers, public hospitals and postal services.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Wednesday that 70,000 police officers and security forces would be deployed across the country, promising “an extremely firm response” to any violence or disorder.
Several teenage protesters have been seriously wounded and thousands arrested.