France reports 448 arrests as 53 police officers injured in protests

French authorities reported more than 400 arrests and over 50 injured police officers Thursday as hundreds of thousands of people joined nationwide protests over wages and the rising cost of living.

The Interior Ministry said the national tally at 6 pm showed 448 arrests, 53 injured law enforcement officers and 86 fire incidents. It described the authorized processions as having generally proceeded smoothly and remained largely peaceful while noting tensions in Paris, Lyon, Rennes and Toulouse.

The ministry estimated that 575,000 people took part across France, including 65,000 in Paris, revising downward an earlier provisional figure of nearly 600,000. The CGT union put the nationwide turnout at nearly 1.6 million, with 350,000 in the capital.

CGT Secretary-General Sophie Binet said the strike was “extremely effective” and called on the government to respond to workers’ demands.

“Nothing will stop us,” she said during the Paris demonstration, urging wage increases for all workers and a 10% rise in the minimum wage.