Paris— Tens of thousands of people marched across French cities on Thursday in response to proposed austerity-driven budget cuts, in what has quickly become one of the largest waves of civil unrest in Europe this year.

Protesters gathered in over 476 locations nationwide, with massive turnouts in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Nantes. Demonstrations were largely organized by trade unions and public sector employees, who say the government’s plans will devastate essential services and worsen economic inequality.

The protests are a direct response to newly unveiled budget measures aimed at reducing France’s growing national debt. The government has defended the cuts as necessary to comply with EU fiscal rules, but citizens and union leaders argue that the burden is falling disproportionately on working-class communities and vulnerable populations.

“We Will Not Pay for Their Crisis”

“We will not pay for........

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