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Protests are taking place across France after five trade unions called a national day of strikes. They were joined by high school students and demonstrators unhappy with the rising cost of living.
According to the head of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), Sophie Binet, by 13:00 on Thursday, more than 250 thousand people took to the streets in almost 70 cities. However, she emphasized that this is “just the beginning.” The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported on Thursday evening that 600 thousand people took part in the rallies across the country.
Unions have vowed to take the wave of protests that began in September over poor learning conditions and lack of resources at France's lycées, the equivalent of high school, to the next level.
Subsequently, the protests spread to other groups of the population: they were joined by workers in various industries and participants in the “yellow vest” movement, protesting against high prices.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that 70,000 police officers had been mobilized to maintain order. He promised an “extremely tough response” to any possible outbreak of violence.
There are reports of unrest from Lyon and Rennes.
In the center of Lyon, near the Gallieni bridge over the Rhone River, a car was set on fire. There, police clashed with hundreds of members of the radical left-wing movement Black Bloc.
Clashes also occurred in the city of Rennes in northwestern France. According to the local prefect, an “aggressive group of masked people” gathered in front of the main column of the trade union demonstration.
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Five unions brought together public and private sector workers, announcing more than 250 separate actions. Campaigners are demanding higher wages to offset rising costs of living and protect public services.
Speaking to reporters at the start of the demonstration in central Paris, CGT chief Sophie Binet said protesters had "just reached a new level of mobilization" and were demanding immediate answers from the authorities.
The strikes caused disruptions to schools, hospitals and public transport. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower and some exhibition halls of the Louvre had to be closed.
Refinery workers were also urged to suspend production. France was expected to import more electricity than it produces itself on Thursday due to outages at nuclear power plants.
A coalition of trade unions called on workers, pensioners and young people to join strikes on Thursday to increase pressure on the government. One of the main demands is an increase in the minimum wage, known in France as Smic. Now it is 12.31 euros (about 14 dollars) per hour.
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The head of the CFDT union, Marilize Leon, said that it is not only the minimum wage that needs to be increased. “We demand an increase in salaries by 100 euros per month after taxes and mandatory contributions,” she emphasized.
The government is trying to reduce public dissatisfaction with rising prices. To reduce the cost of fuel, the authorities ordered the allocation of 10 million barrels of diesel fuel from strategic reserves. Ministers also promised schoolchildren to reform the unpopular Parcoursup university entry platform and eventually replace it by 2028.
According to the Ministry of Education, 16% of teachers took part in the strike. Unions say the protests have disrupted more than a quarter of high schools serving 15- to 18-year-olds, as well as the vast majority of universities.
“Now we are talking not only about investments in public services in the field of school and higher education. We are talking about all public services in France,” Alice de Brito, vice-president of the Unef student union, told the BBC.
Large numbers of demonstrators were expected to take to the streets, especially in the capital. The head of the CFDT said she would be pleased if 800 thousand people took part in the protests. The last time such mass demonstrations took place was October 17.
Meanwhile, the resurgent "yellow vest" movement, which organized large protests against the high cost of living several years ago, has called for new protests also on Friday and Saturday.
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Trade union leaders have complained that demonstrations have recently been routed around central Paris. The cause was the riots that broke out on October 17 in cities across the country. Then more than two thousand shops were looted and historical buildings were set on fire.
Authorities eventually allowed Thursday's demonstration to take place in central Paris, but rejected the unions' proposed route from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Concorde. It would take place near the National Assembly, the Elysee Palace and the Prime Minister's residence at the Matignon Palace.
Instead, the procession was to take a different route through the center of the capital - from Republic Square to Nation Square. The CFDT union complained that the court decision allowing the demonstration along this route was not received until Wednesday evening, complicating preparations for the protest.
The latest major wave of protests, over the weekend, was accompanied by relatively few incidents of violence. The interior minister said a similar number of police would be deployed to maintain order on Thursday.
Laurent Nunez named three potential threats: the actions of radical leftist groups of the Black Bloc, looting of stores and spontaneous marches not coordinated with trade unions.
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