Firefighters, civil servants and high school students held simultaneous protests in Paris on Tuesday (September 29), voicing discontent with lack of funding and resources and with planned budget cuts ahead of next year's presidential election.

Seven months before the election, and just two days before the government unveils its 2027 budget draft, opinion polls consistently show the deep unpopularity of President Emmanuel Macron and his center-right-leaning government.

Firefighters were also denouncing the lack of resources allotted by the government to combat massive wildfires in the country during the summer.

The government proposes freezing the base salaries of state employees in 2027 in a bid to save €2 billion in spending — the fourth consecutive annual freeze and the eighth during Macron's presidency, trade unions say. Unions argue the freezes have resulted in a double-digit loss of purchasing power.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said this month the government planned a €54 billion savings drive in the budget. France's economy will grow less than expected this year, complicating efforts to stop the fiscal deficit from spiralling out of control.

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Firefighters, civil servants and school workers march in Paris protest

VIDEO SHOWS: FIREFIGHTERS MARCHING, USING SIRENS AND FLARES DURING PARIS PROTEST / SAINT-DENIS MAYOR, BALLY BAGAYOKO, DANCING WITH PROTESTERS DURING MARCH OF CIVIL SERVANTS AS PROTESTS CONVERGE / FIREFIGHTERS BEING APPLAUDED

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 29, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS MARCHING DURING PROTEST

2. FIREFIGHTER PLAYING DRUM WHILE MARCHING

3. COFFIN WITH FAKE SKELETON IN IT AND BANNER READING (French): “Four colleagues died this summer for our forests – Will there be others?” BEING WHEELED BY PROTESTER

4. FIREFIGHTERS MARCHING

5. FIREFIGHTER VEHICLE DURING PROTEST

6. FIREFIGHTERS IN UNIFORMS APPLAUDING MARCH FROM BALCONY

7. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS MARCHING AND SOUNDING SIRENS

8. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS MARCHING, HOLDING BANNER READING (French): “No resources, no miracles”

9. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS MARCHING, HOLDING FLARES

10. FIREFIGHTER USING MACHINE WITH YELLOW SMOKE

11. PROTESTERS AND SAINT-DENIS MAYOR, BALLY BAGAYOKO, CHANTING AND JUMPING DURING MARCH

12. PROTESTER PLAYING DRUMS / BAGAYOKO AND PROTESTERS DANCING

13. PROTESTERS MARCHING

14. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS BEING APPLAUDED BY OTHER PROTESTERS AS THEY ARRIVE ON SQUARE

15. FIREFIGHTER WALKING ON COLUMN PLATFORM AT BASTILLE SQUARE

16. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WAVING FRENCH FLAG AND HOLDING FLARES ON COLUMN PLATFORM