Tens of thousands turn out, but numbers are fewer so far than last protest that drew half a million people to the streets.Trade unions in France are carrying out another day of widespread nationwide strikes, heaping pressure on the newly appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to reverse an existing austerity programme and halt any new public spending cuts.France’s Ministry of the Interior said approximately 85,000 people had turned out across the country by midday on Thursday, excluding Paris – a figure lower than a strike two weeks earlier, which drew much larger crowds, indicating lower overall turnout.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listPolice said 500,000 people attended the last demonstrations, while trade unions put the figure at one million. The protests led to clashes across France’s cities between the demonstrators and police, with the latter firing tear gas and arresting about 140 people across the country.France deployed some 76,000 police officers, including gendarmes across the country for the protests, outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Thursday, including 5,000 in Paris, where between 20,000 and 40,000 people are expected to take to the streets.Authorities said they expected 250 rallies to take place in cities across the country.Two major strikes organised by trade unions have taken place this month and have been triggered by widespread opposition to an austerity budget that the country’s leadership has been trying to push through parliament.President Emmanuel Macron’s most recent prime minister, Francois Bayrou, became a political casualty earlier this year of an unpopular …
