Thousands took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to protest against austerity and also in condemnation of French President Francois Hollande who they say has betrayed his voters.
The demonstration gathered around 5,000 people, RT’s Ilya Petrenko reported from the French capital.
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RT continues: ‘A variety of left-wing political forces occupied an entire street in downtown Paris for the rally.
The majority of those who came voted for socialist Francois Hollande two years ago and now say they were betrayed by the president they put in power.
The protesters carried banners and signs saying “Austerity kills” and “They betrayed Jean Jaures (the leader of French socialists in the early 1900s).”
“These austerity policies consist of massive cuts in social spending and huge tax breaks for big corporations. That’s precisely what Hollande promised not to do,” a demonstrator told RT.
During Hollande’s presidency, the country’s tax burden has increased by 40 billion euros, unemployment has risen to 3.3 million, and government spending has reached 57 percent of GDP.
A recent survey by YouGov revealed that the president’s approval rating has fallen to a record low of 12 percent.’
There have been a wave of demonstrations across France in recent weeks, with students also protesting against police brutality and farmers dumping manure and rotting vegetables in protest against EU laws
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