PARIS, France: France faced widespread disruption on September 18 as teachers, train drivers, pharmacists, and hospital staff walked off the job, while students blocked entrances to high schools, in a nationwide protest against looming budget cuts.

The day of action, led by trade unions, demanded scrapping the previous government's fiscal plans, boosting investment in public services, reversing pension reforms that raised the retirement age, and raising taxes on the wealthy.

In Paris, metro services were heavily curtailed, with trains running only during rush hours. At Lycée Maurice Ravel, students carried banners reading "Block your high school against austerity," joining teachers and union representatives in denouncing cuts.

"Workers are so despised by this government and by President Emmanuel Macron that it can't continue like this," said Fred, a bus driver and CGT union delegate. Teacher Gaetan Legay, 33, added: "I'm here to defend public services and to demand that public money goes back into schools and hospitals rather than tax gifts for the ultra-rich."

The protests mark an early test for Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who replaced François Bayrou after parliament rejected Bayrou's 44 billion-euro austerity plan last week. Lecornu has yet to announce his own budget strategy but has signaled willingness to compromise as he seeks parliamentary backing for the 2026 budget. France's deficit last year was nearly double the EU's three percent cap, leaving Macron caught between investor pressure for fiscal discipline and public anger over cuts.

Unions estimate that up to 800,000 people could take part in strikes and demonstrations across the country. Participation was particularly high in education, with one in three primary school teachers striking nationwide and nearly half in Paris, according to the FSU-SNUipp union.

Rail services were also hit: regional trains were severely disrupted while most high-speed TGV lines continued to run. Protesters briefly slowed traffic near Toulon, and nuclear output at EDF dropped by 1.1 gigawatts as workers reduced production at the Flamanville 1 reactor.

Pharmacists closed their doors in protest at business reforms, with the USPO union reporting that 98 percent of pharmacies planned to join the strike. Farmers under the Confédération Paysanne also mobilized.

Authorities deployed 80,000 police and gendarmes nationwide, with riot units, drones, and armored vehicles prepared for unrest. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau warned that up to 8,000 agitators might try to provoke clashes. By midday, police reported more than 20 arrests and had dismantled several blockades, including around Paris bus depots.

The strike's impact extended even to culture: the transfer of the Bayeux Tapestry, the 11th-century masterpiece set to be loaned to Britain, was delayed due to transport disruption.