France braces for demonstrations as trade unions strike

France braces for demonstrations as trade unions strike

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets across France on Thursday, as unions hold strikes alongside student-led demonstrations that have gripped the country for weeks. The high school student movement that began with youth protesting dismal learning conditions has coincided with widespread anger over the rising cost of living and inequality, which culminated on October 17 in the worst rioting France has seen in years. On Thursday, authorities estimate some 500,000 to 700,000 people will protest across the country, while as many as 80,000 people are expected to march in the capital Paris. “It’s going to be a strong mobilisation,” said Marylise Leon of the CFDT union, anticipating a turnout comparable to France’s pension reform protests in 2023 that saw over one million people march. Public and private education unions have called for strike action, as well as unions representing rail workers, public hospitals and postal services. In demands addressed to both the government and employers, the unions are calling for an increase in the minimum wage, which has not received any discretionary boost since 2012, across-the-board wage raises, tax reforms and better learning conditions for young people. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced Wednesday that 70,000 police officers and security forces would be deployed across the country, promising “an extremely firm response” to any “acts of violence” or disorder. ‘Wake-up call’ Although student-led protests were largely peaceful, some saw clashes with police erupt with tear gas and water cannon fired to disperse crowds. An attempted murder investigation has been launched after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces in Paris on Saturday. Meanwhile, the police response has been criticised as heavy-handed and internal police investigations have been launched over allegations of brutality against demonstrators. Several teenage protesters have been seriously wounded and thousands arrested. Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on October 17. On Wednesday, the Paris prefecture banned a major protest route planned between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Concorde, which would have crossed the centre of the city. Police instead replaced it with an authorised route moving eastward away from the centre. Several unions have denounced route bans as a move to repress freedom of demonstration, and some have filed last-minute appeals to have the routes reinstated. “We can feel a cumulative effect: public sympathy for the high school and university students’ movement is not waning, and people are questioning restrictions on liberties, especially bans on demonstrations,” Fabrice Fort of the CGT union explained. “This has sparked a wake-up call among people who usually don’t speak out much,” he added. Similar protests have sparked in other European countries in recent weeks with youth-led demonstrations seen in Denmark, Germany and Italy.