Firefighters Lie Down On Street In Dramatic Toulouse Protest

Firefighters lay across the asphalt on Tuesday as part of a public-service strike, staging a dramatic protest after a difficult summer of fires.

Video filmed by X user Alice Elvan Çelik shows firefighters in dark uniforms lying on the street with their helmets resting on their chests. Yellow union flags and a red union banner lie among them, while one firefighter kneels beside a black speaker.

Spectators line a brick wall and applaud as smoke rises behind the crowd. Trees and apartment buildings are visible in the bright sunlight.

Firefighters from the Haute-Garonne departmental fire and rescue service joined the national public-service strike. They marched from Place Saint-Cyprien toward Jean-Jaurès before staging the protest.

Union signs in the Toulouse march included messages saying the government was abandoning firefighters and that emergency services were in danger.

The local prefecture counted about 6,800 people in the city, while the CGT union said the turnout was 11,000.