Protest rallies organised today

PROTEST rallies are being held in towns across the country today, in opposition to the government’s austerity plans.

In total 185 demonstrations are planned, says one of the organising unions, the CGT (the others being CFDT, FSU, Solidaires and Unsa).

In Paris there will be a rally opposite the National Assembly on the Pont de la Concorde at 14.00, with union leaders Bernard Thibault (CGT) and François Chérèque. At 13.00 the CGT is also organising a rally at Place Saint-Augustin in the 8th arrondissement, before its demonstrators march to join the other event.

Other rallies planned include ones in front of the prefecture of Marseille, the departmental council buildings at Lyon and the social security offices at Lille.

Minor transport disruption is expected, notably on the RER B which crosses Paris north to south, on which only three out of four trains are running.

It was after the announcement, in November, of a second round of austerity measures that five leading unions decided on a day of action today. They were especially angry that welfare measures, such as lowering benefits, were included, without consultation, saying the plans would "deepen inequalities and plunge thousands of families into difficulty".