Seen and heard at France protests

AFP has deployed reporters, photographers and video journalists in cities across France to document nationwide cost-of-living protests on Thursday.

With social discontent high as centrist President Emmanuel Macron's second term winds down ahead of elections next year, here is a round-up of what these journalists are witnessing:

- 'Cheaper groceries, cheaper petrol' -

In the southern city of Marseille, Lea, a 31-year-old social worker who did not give her second name, said she was fed up with counting her money.

"My basket of 20 items has become too expensive. We've got nothing to eat, it scares me. I'm buying lousy products. We want cheaper groceries, cheaper petrol," she said after French unions called for a nationwide strike and rallies.

"This social movement gives us hope. It's been a long time since we've seen anything like this," she added.

A high school student protest movement since September has in recent weeks spiralled into wider protests demanding better wages and tax reforms.

- Music and song -

Many of the protests in recent weeks have included music.

Around a hundred musicians came together in Marseille to perform as an orchestra at the start of the march in the port city.

Under the direction of three conductors, hundreds of protesters belted out the national anthem, as well as the protest song "Siamo tutti antifascisti" ("We are all anti-fascists"), and a song whose chorus translates as: "I have two passions -- the brass band and revolution".

In Paris, a huge musical ensemble called the New World Orchestra -- which has played at previous protests -- performed theme music from the "Hunger Games" film series.

- 'It's joyful, it's diverse' -

In the city of Lyon, the march was largely peaceful, despite some protesters setting off fireworks, a car being set on fire and the window of a temping agency being broken.

Among those marching was 60-year-old Jean-Marc Morel, who walked with a high-visibility vest tied to his waist, in a nod to the Yellow Vest movement that emerged in 2018 under Macron's first term that has backed recent high school protests.

"I feel like it's catching on, that there's a convergence," he said.

"There are a lot of us here and it's joyful, it's diverse. We've got all kinds of professions, old people, young people."

- Students and 'peacekeepers' -

In the heart of Paris, dozens of students rallied, protected by worried parents who had banded together in a WhatsApp group they dubbed "Peacekeepers".

Not far off, dustbins had been pushed together to form a barricade.

Police kettled protesters, while shopkeepers filmed the scene at the windows.

- 'Has spread across Europe' -

In the northeastern city of Strasbourg, students tried to block the entrance to a high school earlier on Thursday.

The movement "has spread across Europe, you can see it's massive," said 17-year-old Charles.

He said he was also inspired by demonstrations in India, where he said young people "are being called cockroaches".

"For us, that resonates," he said.

In the western city of Rennes, law enforcement charged at hundreds of high school and university students in front of two high schools.

Several young people were arrested, sometimes violently, and tear gas canisters landed in a metro station.

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