France is facing a wave of strikes and protests as public sector workers walk out and students close schools, according to Observador. The unrest comes just before the government is due to present its new budget.
Observador reports that thousands of people have taken to the streets, several fires have broken out, and some students have been detained or injured. Schools have been shut by student action, the outlet says.
The strike by civil servants is a protest against a freeze on their salaries, according to UOL Notícias. The walkout is expected to affect transport in Paris, the outlet reports.
Reporting from O GLOBO describes rising tension in France over the public sector strike and student protests, timed to the eve of the budget presentation. Folha PE reports that the student demonstrations have sharpened a confrontation between Lecornu and Mélenchon before an election.
CNN Portugal, covering the same events, notes closed schools, multiple fires, and students who have been detained or injured, framing its report around what is currently happening in the country.
Taken together, the reports point to a broad mobilisation against government policy, with public sector pay at the centre of the dispute and students adding their own protests. The timing, ahead of the budget, gives the actions added political weight.
What to watch next: whether the strikes spread further and how the government responds when it presents the budget.
