French general strike – hundreds of thousands expected to participate

 

Elin Swedenmark/TT

 

Published 10.36

 

Ludmilla Henry has dressed up as Marianne—the symbol of the French Republic—and Gracia Adrien as Esmeralda from "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," as they protest against the rising cost of living in Paris on October 31. Photo: Tom Nouvian/AP/TT

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets across France today to demand wage increases and better conditions for students. Trade unions have called for a general strike, and students are also joining this broad social movement.

"It’s going to be significant. The crisis is deep, and tensions are extremely high," Dominique Corona, deputy general secretary of the union UNSA, told *Le Monde*.

The unions anticipate a level of participation comparable to the protests against pension reform in 2023, which drew over a million people.

Following weeks of student protests, unions representing the public and private education sectors have called for a general strike. Unions representing railway workers, public hospital staff, and postal services are also participating—and large parts of the country are expected to come to a standstill. Furthermore, both original and new "Yellow Vests" are joining this growing social movement.

Tens of thousands of police officers

The unions are demanding across-the-board wage increases, a rise in the minimum wage, and better conditions for young people in education. “We want to amplify the voices of those in the workforce—people who are struggling to earn a decent living from their jobs,” Marylise Léon, General Secretary of the largest trade union, the CFDT, told *Le Monde*.

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that 70,000 police officers and security personnel would be deployed across the country. He promised an “extremely forceful response” to any acts of violence or unrest.

While the student protests have largely remained peaceful, instances of looting and violence have also occurred in the wake of the demonstrations. The police have faced criticism for heavy-handed tactics, and internal investigations have been launched following allegations of brutality against young protesters.

Right to Demonstrate

During the demonstrations on the last weekend of October, authorities issued a last-minute ban on the route protesters had planned to take through Paris, redirecting them instead to a route outside the city center—a move that sparked anger.

“We are seeing a cumulative effect: public sympathy for the movement among high school and university students remains strong, and people are questioning the curtailment of civil liberties—specifically the banning of demonstrations,” says Fabrice Fort of the CGT trade union.