⌨The US-Ukraine economic agreement for natural resources reconstruction, signed April 30, dominated morning coverage, with details revealing potential security implications but no explicit guarantees against Russia. By midday, May Day demonstrations began across France with 250-270 rallies nationwide.
Three separate May Day events split the French political landscape: traditional labor unions rallied workers around employment threats and international concerns, Jean-Luc Mélenchon called to "bring down the government" and establish a "sixth Republic," while Marine Le Pen held a separate National Rally event in Narbonne reaffirming her 2027 presidential ambitions.
Violence erupted when "black bloc" protesters attacked Socialist Party representatives in the Paris march, prompting condemnation across the political spectrum. By evening, authorities counted 157,000 protesters nationwide while the CGT claimed 300,000. Interior Minister Retailleau pronounced the day went "better than feared" despite "unacceptable" violence against the PS.