Thousands of protesters, including this year's winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, took to the streets of Paris today to express their anger at rising prices and put pressure on the French government.
The march against the expensive life and inaction due to problems caused by climate change was supported by trade unions, and according to the organizers, there were about 140.000 participants in the protest, while the Paris police estimated that there were about 30.000, according to France Press.
Today's march heralds an uncomfortable Sunday for Macron's centrist government: Rail strikes, scheduled for Tuesday, look set to follow on from wage strikes that have already disrupted refineries and warehouses, causing chronic fuel shortages and long lines at gas stations.
The march was declared a great success by the leader of the far-left "France Unconquered" party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon. In a speech to the crowd, he announced from the truck "the formation of a new People's Front that will exercise power in the country."
Mélenchon said Macron was "roasted" and that his leadership was leading France into "chaos".
There was an outpouring of vandalism on the sidelines of the demonstration: burning trash cans and banging ATMs. Demonstration police kept the peace.
The march included representatives of all left-wing parties, as well as this year's winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Ani Erno.
"The message is simple: we want a better distribution of wealth," said Socialist leader Olivier Faure.
Among the demonstrators were numerous representatives of the protest civil movement "Yellow Vests" and many pensioners.
Organizers said it was a march against the high cost of living and inaction on the problems caused by climate change. They demanded major investments against the climate crisis but also demanded urgent measures against high prices, including freezes on energy costs, prices of basic goods and rents, and higher taxes on those with large profits.
MP Christophe Bex from the left-wing "France Unconquered" party said that today's march was a "demonstration of strength" and that it shows that "some other world is finally possible if everyone is together and united."
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