France: mass strikes, protests over wages as far-right leads polls ahead of elections

Hundreds of thousands of workers struck and marched across France on Thursday against the rising cost of living, with police firing tear gas in some cities. The protests, which follow weeks of youth-led demonstrations, occur as the government faces fiscal strain and six months before elections where the far-right leads in polls. The CGT union claims 1.6 million turnout, though independent figures are not yet available.

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