法国各地工人响应工会号召举行罢工，预计将有数十万人走上街头。
Workers across France have gone on strike following calls by trade unions, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to take to the streets.
周四上午，抗议者在南部城市马赛和里昂，以及西部城市南特聚集。巴黎的集会定于格林威治时间13:00开始。
Protesters gathered in the southern cities of Marseille and Lyon, as well as in the western city of Nantes, on Thursday morning. A rally in Paris is scheduled to begin at 13:00 GMT.
在示威活动前夕，总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙于周三召开国防和安全会议，以“确保公共秩序”。自9月以来，法国持续爆发抗议活动，最初是学生抗议公立高中条件恶劣，随后诉求扩大至一系列与生活成本上涨相关的不满。
Ahead of the demonstrations, President Emmanuel Macron convened a defence and security meeting on Wednesday to “ensure public order.”France has seen regular protests since September, when students began demonstrating against poor conditions at public high schools. The rallies have since expanded to encompass a host of grievances linked to the rising cost of living.
周四罢工者要求提高最低工资、增加所有工人薪资、进行税制改革以及改善学校条件。组织者称预计将在260个城市和城镇举行抗议，教育部预计全国将有16%的教师参与罢工。
Those striking on Thursday are demanding an increase in the minimum wage, higher salaries for all workers, tax reforms and better conditions in schools. Organisers said protests were expected in 260 cities and towns, with the Education Ministry expecting 16 percent of teachers nationwide to strike.
抗议活动发生在法国政治的关键时刻。该国将于明年4月选举新总统，现任总统马克龙因两届任期限制无法再次参选。民调显示，极右翼候选人玛丽娜·勒庞是夺冠热门，若当选将成为法国首位女总统。
The protests come at a crucial time for France politically. The country is due to elect a new president in April next year, with incumbent Emmanuel Macron unable to run again because of a two-term limit. Polls suggest far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is the favourite to win, which would make her France’s first female president.
半岛电视台记者丽贝卡·科拉德从马赛报道称：“这些抗议始于巴黎的学生运动。过去几周，我们看到它们蔓延至全国，马赛是规模最大的抗议城市之一。”路透社报道，里昂的示威活动中，防暴警察向人群发射了催泪瓦斯。
Reporting from Marseille, Al Jazeera’s Rebecca Collard said “these protests started in Paris with the student movement. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen them spread across the country and Marseille is one of the cities where we’ve seen some of the largest.”The Reuters news agency reported that riot police fired tear gas at a demonstration in Lyon.
近几周，包括德国和葡萄牙在内的多个欧洲国家也因生活水平下降和负担得起的住房短缺爆发了抗议。法国因应对示威活动的方式受到批评，多人指控警方暴力执法。
Several European countries, including Germany and Portugal, have seen protests in recent weeks over declining living standards and a shortage of affordable housing. France has faced criticism for its handling of the demonstrations, with several people making allegations of police violence.
路透社报道，即将举行的七国集团外长会议在最后一刻从马赛改至巴黎举行，此举发生在全国性抗议持续六周之后。外交官向路透社表示，这一决定“混乱”，将损害法国的形象。
Reuters reported that the upcoming G7 foreign ministers’ meeting has been moved from Marseille to Paris at the last minute, a move that follows six weeks of nationwide protests. Diplomats told Reuters the decision was “chaotic” and would harm France’s image.